The Long and Winding Road
by Rocks-my-socks
Summary: AU Sequel to 'Time to Grow'. This year, life is not going to slow down for the Potters. But really, why would they want it too? If things were normal for this family, they'd be bored!
1. Boggarts and Beaches

AN: this is the sequel to two previous story's, you'll probably have to read them to get in to the plot as there is a lot of back story you need to know for it

AN: This is the sequel to two previous story's, you'll probably have to read them to get into the plot as there is a lot of back story you need to know for it.

Dedication: To baby Jasmine Claire, for being the most beautiful baby cousin who has ever been born!

The Long and Winding Road

Chapter 1: Boggarts and Beaches

When she had got to the Den that summer Ellouise had been down. Who could blame her? She had every reason to be. Her biological brother had just gone through hell and because he had been pulled out of school and she was unable to be there for him, as she had been in the past. They had never been split up before. She didn't ever want to be again.

Ellouise was a young girl, with red hair and hazel eyes, the spitting image of her fathers, but most happen to think she took after her mother, Lily, in her personality. She was fiery like her, yet Ellouise was more insecure than her mother had been. It was hardly surprising.

She had heard this lot and hoped it was true as she adored her mother. Being like Lily would be a compliment. She was the best mum she had ever had; she had after all had more than one.

It wasn't that she hadn't loved her other mother, her aunt in fact, it was just that she had had a very different relationship with her.

But the relationship with her aunt had changed again since the truth had come out. They actually got on. That was a huge change. They had been at one another throats before.

Life was very different for Ellouise in that summer but in between the unhappiness and all the pain at the Den she had found happiness and joy in it as well. There was a balance.

She loved her home, the Marauders Den. It was what was destining to be the historical home of tithe maraudering lines, or so her father and his friends hoped.

This summer, even after a year of living there she was still always finding new rooms and pranks to pull. The Den it seemed was always changing and had a life of its own.

Another reason she loved the Den was her parents didn't set her and her eldest brother a bed time. They could stay up and get up as they wished as long as they weren't stupid about it. They were being treated like adults.

That was how she found herself on the third level of the house walking around at midnight.

Since she had returned she had given her self a new project, too find out more about her godmother. She had a fantastic relationship with her godfather, Remus Lupin, she wanted to know if she could reach that with someone else as well. She wanted to surround herself with her family's past.

She knew she must have a godmother for two reasons.

One, her brother had one so logical she should too, but then again as far as she was aware the twins didn't have one so going on that, logical she shouldn't either.

Two, when she had asked her godfather about her who ever she was he freaked out, so if she didn't exist why did he react like that? She was sure she was out there.

There had to be a clue either way in the house. Just something…

Choosing a room at random for she had no idea where to start, she went in.

For the size of the rooms she had so far seen at her home this was small. Just like a box room. Turning on the light she found out that was just what it was.

A room full of card board boxes.

Well, this was different, she thought. She hadn't found a room like this before.

Turning on the light she went to one of the boxes she could reach easiest. They were at least thirty.

Opening it she looked in side to see old Hogwarts robes, one set had a head girl badge on it as well as boys set. Looking closer at the label she saw Lily Evans and James Potter written on them. Her parents school stuff…

Deeper into the box was Gryffindor flags pictures of them when they were young and souvenirs from when they were young. Memories of their youth.

Opening the box next to it she realized this had to belong to her godfather, as it was a Gryffindor boys robe with a prefect badge on it still, there was no way Sirius had ever been a prefect. That was obviously Remus's stuff.

Looking further down there was a photo album. Lifting it she was so eager to move on to her parents past she looked straight in to the next box.

Until she saw what was in the box.

There was a bright light and she covered her eyes.

As she re opened them she saw a body. A dead body.

"Remus?" she asked him, he wasn't breathing, why wasn't he breathing? Why was he even there. He had gone to bed he had said. What was wrong with him? Panic rose within her.

Screaming she shook him.

"UNCLE REMUS, MOONY PLEASE GET UP!" she yelled as tears streamed down her face. Was wasn't he getting up.

Foot steps came running and she watched as her brother and father came to her aid. Harry and James had been talking about Quidditch on the floor below when they had heard her scream.

"Ellouise?" he asked bursting into check on her. What had upset her so?

"Dad," she choked out. "Help him."

James on instinct, reacted as any friend would and nearly turned to blind panicked but after closer examination he knew just what to do. It was all going to be ok. It wasn't him.

"Riddikulas," he charmed and his son knew just what had upset his sister so badly. A Boggart. Nothing more.

They were horrid things and Harry had had to fight one in his third year and learn how to defend himself against them. It seemed his sister wasn't quite there yet. she had only just passed out of second year.

Sinking down to his daughters level James took one of the three most important girls in his life in his arms and held her tightly.

"Hush baby I know you were scared but its ok," he soothed her or tried too, but he knew it wasn't working; perhaps the only thing that was going to calm the girl was a visit to her godfather. "It wasn't him. you can go see him if you'd like. The real Remus Lupin is in his room."

She nodded into him.

"Can you take Elle to Remus son," James asked and Harry nodded.

"Its o.k. come on, sis," he heard the boy tell her as they left the room. It was nice he found to be there for someone else. Everyone had been fussing about him and he was sick of them tip toeing about him.

Opening the photo album James saw himself with is wife, his best friend with his own and Remus with what had been the love of his life.

Maybe that had been what the girl had been looking for he thought to himself. He knew his daughter and she had asked him once or twice and tried to get information about her godmother but he didn't want to tell her she had died a long time ago. She had had enough upset over the last few years.

But then, after all never any proof that his sister like friend had died. There was no confirmation.

Something told him not to trust to hope but then again, if his family didn't have that, why where they going to try and fight the up coming war that faced them. They needed hope. All of them. It was so important.

Sighing and leaving the room he followed his two eldest.

When he got to Moony's room he seemed to have calmed the girl down a lot.

A hot chocolate was in her hands and she sat smoothed in the protective embrace of her werewolf godfather. She had shut her eyes as they embraced. James sighed. She feared losing him more than anything. They really had bonded.

Father and son left alone. It was obvious they needed five minutes by themselves. James winked at Harry and the two left for Harry's room.

"You ok son?" said James as he tucked his eldest boy in too bed once they got there.

"Fine dad," he heard Harry say as he sunk in to his pillows. "Night dad," he said as he fell in to dreams quickly.

"Night son," said James and left the room, lit by the half moon. "I love you." he reassured the already sleeping lad.

Checking up on the twin's quickly in the side room off of his own, he went back into the master bed room.

"What was wrong with Ellouise?" asked Lily as she sat up reading in bed having got into bed after settling the twins.

"A nasty encounter with a Boggart," her husband told her.

"Oh god," said Lily getting up preparing to go and comfort her child.

"Lils she is with Remus. Leave them too it, you know what there like." he said. She would be ok with him.

Snuggling down in bed they both felt a little disturbed. A Boggart…

"What was her Boggart?" asked Lily. She hadn't wanted to think about it before, but it was important for a mother to know what her child feared.

"Remus dead." said James quietly, for it was loads one of his fears. "She's was in the room we keep all our old school stuff, I think she was looking up her godmother." he said to his wife.

"I don't want to tell her that Ruby's dead James." said Lily worried.

"Neither do I, but it think we may have too."

--

Lily and James agreed in the end to do it before the end of the next day, probably at the end of it as Ellouise was out that day.

She had been asked by her aunt and uncle to go to the beach and she had said yes.

Lily would also be going on but a bit later with the twins and Harry, but Elle would go ahead with her aunt and uncle so she could see her old friends for longer..

Arriving the four kids that were already there, Lauren, Piers and Dudley along with Ellouise all went down to the sea in there swim were while the four adults (Vernon, Petunia, David and Ella), Joyce and Marge had stayed behind, got the camp for the day set up.

"Are you ok Ellouise?" Dudley asked his baby sister. She wasn't talking a lot today.

"Fine, just tired." she lied. He wouldn't understand she didn't think.

After splashing around bit however she got into things and no longer did she let the events of the night before stopped worrying her. It was done now.

Sitting down in the camp with the rest of the group, her aunt had got her and her cousin as well as her friends as ice cream.

A chorus of thanks went around before the kids took part in some serious sun bathing.

"A penny for them," said Lauren.

"I don't know, just Neville, I guess." said Ellouise.

"You miss him?" She asked.

"Loads," she admitted to her friend.

"Hey baby," she heard the voice of her mother say to her. Lily had arrived.

"Hey mum," she said to her.

The day was really good in the end.

In the afternoon after they had had there rolls and sandwiches the five kids of the seven kids who were old enough to walk went body boarding in the sea and Lily, along with David, went in to supervise.

Days like these were the ones that meant the most to Lily. The kids were just aloud to have some good old fashion fun. No worries for them.

But she was not looking for ward to that evening. How was she meant tell her daughter that the god mother she had been working so hard to find she was dead?

After explaining what had gone on to her sister Petunia agreed.

"Lily she has to know, she's just going to worry other wise." she had raised the girl and she knew the girl like the back of her hand.

Lily knew she was going to be heartbroken but if there was something her daughter could do, it was get over a little heart ache. She had done it too many times in her young, short life.

AN: updates will be every five days! Thanks for reading.

Please review!


	2. The Long Awaited Return

Chapter 2

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" asked Ellouise.

"You'd been through so much, darling we didn't want to upset you any more," said lily.

"Why should I be upset, I never even knew her," said Elle coldly and walked out the room.

The truth was she was crushed.

She felt like a fool. She had been looking for some thing that had never even been there to being with.

Going down in to town she didn't think to tell her mother or her father. She just wanted to be alone.

Tears fell down her face as she realized she would never know her god mother.

Vernon who had been walking back form getting some milk at the local shop saw his niece there and headed in to the park.

"Ellouise?" he asked.

"She's dead -" she didn't know what to call him sometimes. Uncle Vernon seemed right but also weird. After all these years of him being daddy, not that she didn't know who she was any more. She was not on the verge of another break down. "Why didn't they tell me?"

"Who's dead Elle?"

"My god mother." she said plainly.

Sighing she watched as he took the swing next to her.

"Adults don't always make the best decisions," he said to her.

"Really, I had know idea," he noted her sarcasm. This wasn't best coming from him he thought.

"Come on honey, come to mine and your aunts and have some tea," he said.

Shrugging she nodded. She'd asked Lauren what she would do if she was her.

It was a hard one though. At the end of the day she knew that lily and James had really only been doing what they had thought to be right for there daughter, she just wished she was aloud to decide what was best for her at times.

"Don't be too hard on them," had been what Lauren had told her to do. As she reminded her lily and James cared for her deeply and had wanted to see there daughter in pain all over again but that

Nodding Ellouise went home. She had to smooth things over with her parents.

"I'm sorry for running out like that," she told them both as she got to the living room.

"Its ok baby," said lily as she went to her daughter and hugged her. "I and your daddy were just trying to protect our daughter."

"I know," she said to her. "Can I go to my room," she asked.

"Of course you can baby, go on," she said to her.

"She's going to be ok," James told her.

"I know," she nodded, as he put her arm round her.

When she got upstairs though she didn't feel like going to her room. Instead she choose a place she loved even more than her room: Mark and Summer's.

Going in to her baby sibling's room, she saw they were waking up from their nap.

"Hey Mark," she said to the baby as she picked him up. "How you doing, baby?" She cooed in his ear.

Harry who had seen her head in to the baby's room went in and picked up his sister.

"You ok?" he asked Ellouise as Summer lay peacefully in his arms.

He had been told by his parents what had gone on when she had been told and he had known she had been upset.

Walking over to him she smiled. "Yeah," she said laying her head on his shoulder and holding Mark closely. "I've got you three monsters," she said to him.

Laughing he smiled with her.

He had to admit despite what he had been through at the end of the last term he felt like the luckiest boy in the world.

He had never thought he would ever become a big brother even though his sister had been underneath his nose since he was two but look at him now.

He had three baby siblings, each as beautiful as the other.

He was scared that he was not going to be able to protect them now though. Voldemort had returned to the wizarding world and he had seen him return. He had come face to face with him and he never wanted that to happen to the three most precious things in his life. He had sworn too himself he would look out for them long ago he just hoped he could hold true to that.

-----------------

Far away up at Hogwarts sat a women, in the light of the sun her brown hair shown.

Sighing happily as she saw the head master come towards her she gave him a coy grin.

"Are you ready my dear ruby?" he asked her.

"More than," she said. "Today's the day I go home to my family. My life." she said.

It had belonged to her work for so long and now she had her heart and her life back. And she was going to devote it to her loved one and god child.

She wondered what the girl looked like now.

She had been offered a photo to see but she had refused. She wanted to see her little girl for the firsts time in the flesh, well lily's little girl.

But then again she wasn't going tot be s o small any more.

In couple of months she was going to turn fourteen and that was so hard to admit. She was all grown up.

"What time are we leaving for the den?" she asked. She hadn't been this excitable since she had thought she was going to be marrying Remus.

"We are due to arrive at eight." he said to them. "Well I am you aren't," he said to them. "You are going to be a complete surprise." he said to her.

"I cant wait." she smiled. "Not long now."

---------------------

That night was going to be the last that the marauders had together.

The members of the order of the phoenix were going to arrive the next day and that would be it for the summer.

So Lily had insisted on the fact that the ten of them had to sit down alone for dinner.

Not even Dudley tagged alone.

James had a lot of fun this was what made him realize what family was: everything to him.

Him, his brothers, wife, kids. That was what his life was about.

They were the only thing s that mattered.

After they all moved in to the living room at seven thirty for games and a chat.

Harry, Beth and Ellouise all went hyper. And enjoyed it.

Quarter to eight came and Sirius and jams were play fighting with the kids beating them up, not in a mean way and funny way.

At eight outside laughter was heard and Dumbledore looked at ruby.

"Ready," he asked.

"More than." she said.

Ringing the door bell she felt nervous.

"I'll get it." said Mel.

They heard her open the door and then she screamed.

"Mum!" asked Beth.

"Honey" said Sirius and run out to the door.

When he saw his old friend he didn't believe his eyes but he felt wonderful about it.

This was her she was back.

"Ruby," he said and she pried her self from Mel and went to him.

"I missed you, I missed all," she said with tears running down her face.

"Darling?" whispered Remus. He didn't know whether to believe it but Dumbledore was with her and he was smiling.

"Remus," she said and run in to his arms.

For the next ten minutes they just cried in to each others arms. They were both thrilled tot be together again. Her heart was racing like it had never before. For the first time in years she felt whole.

"God look at me," she finally said. "Crying like a baby," she said. Turning to the others she hugged lily and James.

"Good to see you my old friends," she said.

"Where have you been?" asked lily.

"It doesn't matter now," she shook her head. "I'm home."

Wiping her eyes she gave her friend a grin.

"Where is she?" she asked. "Where's my god daughter?" he asked.

"Ellouise?" she heard her father. She went to his side as he had asked her. "Elle this is your god mother, this is Ruby."

Elle and Ruby looked eyes for thee first time ever bothered eyes were filmed with tears.

"You are so beautiful baby." she said and hugged her.

For the first time since she was thirteen days old, Ellouise was held by her god mother.


	3. Family Life

Chapter 3

When she got up the next day when she woke up Ruby was so happy to see Remus' face next to her.

While they had not done any thing last night they had slept side by side and it had been the best nights sleep of her many years.

Kissing him she looked to the clock to see it was seven.

She should get up. she wanted her longest day in the den be her first. She wanted to embrace every second.

Back to her old ways and life, and home and to her family.

Going down in to the living room she sat on the sofa.

"Mistress Ruby it is true you are back," said ditty as she saw her.

"Oh yes and I have missed you." she smiled kindly.

"Can I get you a cup of tea mistress?

"I would love one," she said and with a pop ditty went to get her request.

Sitting she watched as the sun raised through the window and for the first time since she remembered she felt relaxed.

Eight thirty came quickly and looking at the stairs she saw her auburn haired god daughter came down.

"Good morning," the girl said to her.

"Morning Ruby!" she said brightly though if a little sleepily.

Sitting by her god mothers side Ellouise looked at her.

"How did you sleep?" Ellouise asked her looking out the window of the family room.

"Well, better than I have in a long time my darling?" she said.

It didn't take long for ditty to get her little mistress a drink.

"So have you any plans for the day?" asked ruby. "I did hope me you and that god father of yours might spend some time together the three of us." she suggested.

"I think that would be a great idea." she nodded.

In a while the two were joined by lily and Mark who had decided to have lye in.

"Morning you two!" Lily said happily to them.

"Good morning!" ruby replied. "Oh let me have little Mark for a cuddle with his auntie Ruby!" she insisted.

"Oh yes," said lily and gave him over to her. "Hello sweetie." said Lily to Elle as she sat down where Ruby had been sitting.

Ellouise snuggled in to her mothers arms as soon as she held her. "Morning mum!" she said.

"Did you sleep well my darling?" she asked.

"Very well thank you!" She told her mum as she lay her head on Lily's shoulder.

"good." replied her mother as she kissed her daughters fore head with a great affection. She had such loved for all her children, and they meant every thing to her.

Not long after she had come down Lily had tea in her hand and with in time slowly she was joined by the rest of the potters, then the two black's and the last Hill.

Lastly of all Remus came down the stairs.

"I take it you sleep well," said ruby as Remus pressed her lips to his.

"The best I have had since last summer when the kids and James, Sirius and Lily first got back." he told her.

That morning was a really good morning. They had a fry up all in there pajamas and then played various games. The marauders now wall complete with there women begun telling the kids story after story of what they got up to when they ruled the corridors of Hogwarts.

"Right." said lily when it came to mid day. "We should really get dressed; we have the rest of the order to get ready for today. Well not all of it." she said. "But the Weasleys." She said and Harry looked thrilled at the thought of his best friend and girl friend coming to stay with them.

Elle how ever wasn't. How could Fred be coming to stay?

Her ex - Fred.

Still she guessed she was just going to stay with ruby, and Remus. Those three were a god family and had to learn about each other well the two girls did.

At three the family arrived well eight of the nine the potters were shocked to hear how Percy had left his family. Mrs Weasley heart seemed to be broken by it.

The Weasley bunked in with the marauders choosing rooms as they liked

Ron asked to go in with Harry and Harry had been only too happy to open his room in to his friend. Ellouise asked Ginny to go in with her and she had been thrilled to. Beth said she wanted to go in with the others as well. It was going to be real girls few nights for the time begin.

That night was the biggest meal that the marauders had ever hosted.

It was like the house warming they had always wanted but never had the chance to have.

The Weasleys and the marauders where there of course, the five Dursleys.

"Ok come on all sit at the table," lily called in to the living room where every one was.

Every one went in to the huge feast. The adults gathered up one end and the kids at the others.

"You look a bit down Ron." Ellouise said over the table.

"Chudley cannons lost today." he said to her gloomily.

"Oh poor Ron," she teased

Lily bloomed. She loved the feeling of having them all round her table, just like her mother had been.

Her parents had been a pillar of the society when she had been young. She and Petunia had been brought up in a manor just like the marauders den, except the den was a lot more fun. She had sworn her kids were never going to have to live in the strict environment her and her sister had.

While they were kids that was going to be just how her kids would behave hopefully despite the troubles they had had.

Child like, having fun and messing about all the time.

Except they couldn't could they because her Harry was the boy who lived and Elle had had to much happen to her in her life already.

"Are you ok honesty?" asked James.

"Of course," she smiled. "Dudley sweet heart, have you chosen the subjects we're going to study?" she asked down the table.

"Well we decided the wizard ones didn't we, defense, transfiguration, charms, and potions." he said. He couldn't wait for, potions that was the only one he was going to be able to do both the theory and the practical. "And we have to do math, English, science, and we had to do two more." He said.

"Yes, two." she agreed.

"Can I do history and geography?" he as asked her.

"Of course," she smiled to him.

"wicked." he said to her.

"Can we doing flying as well?" he asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea son," Vernon protested his son as much as he tried was not a wizard and he wasn't going to be able to do that.

"Oh come on Vernon the boy might be able to give it a go." Teased Lily.

"No, no, no." Insisted Petunia. "My son is to going up on a broom." she agreed with her husband.

"But mum…"

"No Dudley," she said firmly. "No buts."


	4. Of Order Meeting's and Arguments

Chapter 4

The first order meeting had been called well tee official one and ever one gathered in the family room, well the adults.

The kids were sent up stairs and they all went to Harry's room for their own little meeting.

Once again poor Lauren and piers had been left behind.

"What do you think they're talking about?" asked Ron.

"The next embroidery party I'm sure." teased George.

Laughing grimly Harry gave a said smile.

"It'll be ok," Ellouise said to him.

"Must you always be so optimistic?" he asked her with a sorrow in his voice that killed her.

Looking to Dudley for help, then to Hermione she didn't know what to say.

"It's not her fault, its just the way she is," said Fred who was always bound to stick up for her after what they had been through together.

"Well it isn't helping us now is it?" he burned his sister again in his frustration.

Dudley got annoyed. He had always been over protective of her and hated it when any one spoke any bad off her especially when it was a just of her nature he wouldn't change a hair on her head.

"Don't they think I can take it or something?" he asked the group of friends who were around him.

"Mum and dad are doing what they think is best." Elle told him quietly.

"Well you didn't see it that way when they told you ruby was dead." he said to her coldly. "Mum and dad are getting it wrong again." he said. "I know all about the prophecy, I should be down t here with them."

Why Ellouise was on the sharp end of the stick tonight with Harry the others had no idea but some of them were getting annoyed. Way wasn't she sticking up for her self?

Elle felt had for her brother, She had seen him go through so much lately and if he needed a bit of release who could blame him.

Better on her than there friends she thought to herself.

"There's no point you getting wound up Harry they've made their choices." Ron told him.

"You think, lord I hate this." Harry said.

"Come on lets do something to keep our minds from thinking about it, who wants a game of exploding snap," Ginny asked.

"I'll go in for it," said Ellouise.

Hermione smiled. "I'm in." He said.

"Can I give it ago?" asked Dudley in curiosity.

"You sure can dud, I'm dealing," said Ginny.

----------------------------------------

"Right come on listen up all," said Albus as he sat at the head oi the table.

Looking around he saw a lot of old and newf aces around him. The Potter's, The Blacks, Remus and Ruby, Vernon and petunia had come along, the Weasley's and various other members.

"We all know why we're here, Voldemort indeed returned." He said to them few of them gasped

James and lily didn't though but he took her hand under then table comforting her. If there was a couple on there most wanted list.

He went on to tell them a few things about what was going to happen now. A lot of people had heard it all before and turned to there own thoughts.

Then went the bit they had all wanted to know.

"As you all know, ruby has been on a order mission all these long years and recently she has returned home to us all," he said beaming on her.

Remus smiled proudly on his partner and across the table though he didn't know it that beam cut through the chest of one of the younger members of the phoenix.

Tonks hadn't been able to stop thinking of him since the wedding and seeing him with her hurt but again if he didn't want her maybe she was just going to have to deal with that.

"Right," said ruby as she got up to take centre stage for a while. "As you know before I left obviously Dumbledore gave a mission and to day I can relive what that mission was openly to you all." she went on.

"My job through pout the past's decade has been to research one of the darkest methods of magic ever used in our world. The Horcrux.

"My guess is a lot of you have heard of them but desire no knowledge on them and tonight I am sorry to have to lift that naivety from yours eyes but I , and Professor Dumbledore feel you must know what we are up against."

She went on to explain to the order what it was and how it worked.

The Horcrux was a way of tearing your soul in to parts and hiding them in different places in objects, generally prized ones.  
Once she was done the floor went open to questions.

"So how does this affect the war Ruby?" Asked James.

"We think he who must be named -"

"We don't call him that in this house Ruby, we don't fear him." said lily trying to be brave. "His name is Voldemort."

"Very well lily," said ruby to the mistress of the house. "Voldemort had preformed the Horcrux; we think he has ripped his soul in to pieces."

------------------------

Remus tossed. Remus turned. Then he tossed again.

Nope it was use, he just couldn't get comfortable.

Looking at ruby on the other side off the bed it became clear to him she was still awake.

"Why didn't you come home soon?" he asked.

"I didn't want to, we knew he wasn't gone for good I wanted to keep up with what I was doing," she said bluntly.

"Doesn't it bother you while you were working your god daughter was on the other side of the world being fed a bunch of lies." he asked.

"Of course it bothers me!" she said to him. "Elle didn't deserve what she got we all know that." said ruby. "But what could I have done."

"Taken her and Harry in, that's what you could have done," he said to her.

"I didn't - I don't knower, I didn't think I was the right person for the job and besides she turned out well," she said.

"Oh yeah just the small matter of her breaking down at the age of thirteen." said Remus getting out of bed in frustration. No girl should have to go through that. Why was she being so cold on the matter? She had always been so warm before.

"Remus I did what I judged at the time to be right, they were safe I knew that, what Elle went through it was awful." She said. She had been so young at the time she hadn't been ready to be a mother. "But I thought I did what was best for our god daughter."

"My god daughter," he said angrily. He didn't under stand, how could she had not wanting to be with Ellouise when all he had thought of for the firsts eleven years of the girls life.

"oh come now Remus get back in to bed, we have a few long weeks ahead." she told him.

But he couldn't. Maybe things had been better when she had been 'dead', when he didn't know she had, in his eyes betrayed the marauders.

Coming to think of it she had always been the one to duck out on things that mattered.

Sure she had seen this through but what about all the practical things that the group had tried to do together she had always ducked out. She hadn't wanted to become an Animagus, sure Mel hadn't done it but at least she had given it ago, and when the others had thought up the others had been all for it when she had been so apprehensive.

"Remus please, I am so sorry," she said.

"You didn't have to come home to her." he said. "You just had to come home for me," he told her. "Why didn't you love me enough to return," he asked.

She felt stamped. She just didn't know what to day in return.

"I'm going to get a drink," he told her and left their room.

He didn't go to get a drink in the end.

He went to the room at the end of the second floor corridor and sat on the sofa in the room.

Across form him on the bed was his god child sleeping peacefully, knowing her entire family was around her.

Moving to her side he sat on the edge of her bed and watched as she breathed.

Feeling the bed go down with what little weight he did have she turned over sub consciously reached out for what ever was there.

Taking her hand he soothed her back in to a deeper sleep than she had been before. "Its ok my darling, its just your uncle Remus."

Stroking her hair he felt better for having his sweet heart close.

"What did I do wrong Ellouise? Why was it me who had to be the werewolf? We could have had such fun together when you were a baby; I could have been there for it all, your first words, steps, chocolate cake, day at school. Then again I was there for that. I was darling. I always was there for you, I just don't get why no one else was, or even seem to want to be and if they did they were lying to you. What did we do to deserve this, my darling. "


	5. Hogwart's Letters

Chapter 5

The tension between Ruby and Remus mounted the next few days. Ellouise found it hard.

She had always hoped that when her god mother did come home, that they would be a kind of family just like Sirius and Mel were with Harry.

Ruby and Remus just didn't have some thing like the Blacks did. Mel and Sirius had stood the test of time and it seemed to the rest of the group at that moment Remus and Ruby hadn't.

The thing that made it harder for the kids was the fact that James had to work harder and longer than he had ever before.

When he got home, Lily saw how exhausted he was and didn't have the heart to tell him the fun she had been having with there kids when he had been working to keep them safe. She wished she could do more but she had been charged with the job of looking after the order and that meant she had to be art Head Quarters. Sometimes James barely had time to go in to Ellouise, Harry and the twins to kiss their brows good night before his fatigue took him.

When it came to his day off, at long last, he felt so good.

It was the eighth of August, a warm summers day and he planed to spend it with his family.

By mid day they were out by the lake at the den and he, his daughter, wife and son were in the water while the twins were napping.

"Come on you lot!" said Lily as she splashed them "get me back!" she laughed.

"Nah I'm wiped out mum!" said Elle as she got out.

Smiling as she got her towel and looked at her baby siblings she blessed their little hearts. They were the sweetest things.

"Elle," she heard a voice.

"Oh hey Beth, what's up," she asked as she dryed off.

"You've got a letter." she told her and passed it over.

"Thanks!" she said as she sat on a blanket by the picnic basket and opened it.

Hello Ellouise,

How are you? I'm doing ok. Me and gran had a great time on holiday. I even caught a couple of fish with my uncle.

I miss you Elle,

Neville.

Elle felt a lost after this. She hadn't been thinking about him a lot after what had gone on that summer.

She did miss him too, a lot.

"Are you ok babe?" asked James from the lake. "Come on darling come back in daddy won't have a day off in a while again." he told her. "I want my kids with me!"

"Hem, hem."

"And my beautiful wife," he ended after Lily's hint.

"Ok dad," she said and got back in.

The next day James was again gone before his lady wife awoke.

"Damn," she said. Lily hated getting up alone.

"Come on then darlings lets go and see what's going on down stairs," she said as she put one twin on each shoulder.

Arriving in the kitchen she saw Molly settling the kids down and ready for the day.

"Morning kids" she said to the entire chatter filled table.

A few calls of morning mum or morning lily she smiled. "what are we all up to today then?" she asked and just as she was about to get answers there was a distraction.

The Hogwarts letters had arrived in the marauders Den.

"Oh my god" said Hermione as she read her letter.

"What's up?" asked Beth as she buttered her toasts.

"I got prefect," she smiled.

"What a shock, "the hill teased.

Ron looked a bit blank as he opened his.

"He has it to then," said Beth in a matter of fact tone.

"Yeah I do," said the boy grinning. He had never thought he would be the one to get the Gryffindor prefect. He was almost sure it was going to be Harry.

"Well done Ron" Hermione told him from where she sat and just for a moment her eyes were a sea of emotion.

No one caught it but there was a mix of admiration, and an undying love that would always be.

_Don't do Hermione_, she reminded her self. He is totally smitten with Emily and you have your Viktor, count your blessings.

"Well done Ronnie!" said his mother as she hugged him.

"Mum," he moaned. "Get off!" he told her.

Lily laughed glad that she wouldn't have got that with Harry or at least she didn't think he would.

Ever since she had returned to him he had always been pretty happy to hug her in front of every one and any one.

Looking on her eldest daughter she wasn't expecting much of a reaction as it was just her third year and not a very big one.

Elle offered her mother and smile and went off to get ready for the day once she had eaten her breakfast.

She again went exploring the den ending up in the room where she had seen her Boggart a few weeks back.

Sitting down she indulged her self in one of the old photo albums, mostly full of her at the time very in love god parents.

Why weren't they still like that? She asked her self. She wished they were, she had dreamt they would be.

He had waited for her coming for so long and now it had happened perhaps he wished it had not, so that he still had all those treasured memories she had given him when they had been at school and not the bad ones they were giving each other now.

"We can't make the past the future," she heard a voice behind her. "No matter how much we wish we could, but we can the future better than past ever was." she said after she had read the face of the pensive daughter of her best friend.

"But I just want them to be happy," Elle said to Melanie.

"And so do I but I think that means we have to let go of the fantasy that they are ever going to be in love as they were."

She had wished it too. It was going to be just like the old days, she had told herself the night they had got Ruby back, only better, because the kids had been there too.

"Darling I don't think they can be happy if there together," said Mel as she tucked a piece of Ellouise's hair out her face.

"But I don't want him to be by him self any more, he deserves the love of a god women Mel, and besides you and Sirius can do it," she said.

"Elle, me and your uncle have changed, I guess we were just meant to be."

"What and they weren't?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

"I guess not it doesn't work out well for everyone Elle, we're not in a fairy tale."

"I know that, don't you think I know that?" she snapped slightly.

"I wish we did live in an ideal world but we don't," she said as she put an arm round the teenager motherly. She was finding it a lot easier to comfort Ellouise than she ever had her own daughter, who never aloud her emotions to show.

"I just want him to happy Mel, I love him more than any one on this earth. I hate seeing him as upset as he is right now." she said tiredly.

"I know, but I reckon if he had some time with you," she said knowing the girl also needed time with her god father, "he might just cheer up."

"Ok," said Elle getting up. "Sorry for snapping."

"It's alright Ellouise its good to see some one is there to protect Remus against the odds." she laughed. Even if she was just a thirteen year old girl.

When Elle got there though Remus wasn't much company right now though, he admitted it to her.

Not only was his love life down the drain but he had the full moon coming up in a matter off days. He was in no mood for it, not that he ever was.

"I am sorry I'm not being much fun," he said to his god daughter.

"Its ok, have a sleep you might feel better," she said.

With molly and Lily out in Diagon alley sorting out the new bits for Hogwarts and a few treats for the prefects Elle took refuge in her mother's garden.

She had found she had always been able to get her thought in order her since she had learned of its existence. She found a huge deal of comfort here.

Even if her mother was not in it she could feel lily's love there.

"Elle?" she heard a voice call her.

"Oh hey Fred, you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah are you," he said. She had looked so far away when he had entered the beautiful and enchanted garden. It was like they were miles away from any where.

"I just have a lot on my mind." She told him.

"Well I was sent to get you, its dinner time." he told her and getting up she nodded, getting ready to go in to the house.


	6. Goodbye To The Summer

Chapter 6

When Ellouise got to the Dursleys cottage on the last night of the Polkiess visit she was in for a pleasant surprise.

"Elle, its great," her cousin told her as she sat next to him at the table in the garden, "one of aunt Marge's dogs have got sick so she has had to go home to see to it." he grinned and she high fived him.

So the old battle axe had finally gone.

By the looks of things every one, even Joyce, was relived by this news.

"On more night to get slaughtered and then we all have to get ready for school and work." David reminded them all as he drunk his lager happily.

"Right all dig in!" said Petunia as she laid her shepherds pie she had just made down.

"Nice one sis," said lily whose favorite meal was just that what her sister had made. She knew Pet's shepherds pie was nearly as good as there on mums had been.

"Thank you," She said as she sat down. Turning the subject back to what to had been before, she smirked. "But we all know what two members of the family won't be working, just playing with little Summer and mark all day."

"We will be working Mum!" protested her son.

"Yeah of course you will Dudley." laughed Ellouise. "We all believe you."

The group laughed and jeered at poor Dudley's expense.

"Leave him alone," his father finally stepped in as he saw his son get rather annoyed.

The conversation turned to school and when they were all starting back.

"Well we're be getting on the train on September the first again," said Elle, as they always did. Hogwarts had used that date since it had begun all those years back.

"We have until the fifth," Piers told them all.

"When do we start up Aunt Lily?" asked Dudley.

"I was thinking on the second," she mused.

"That's good."

In truth Dudley was dreading the rest off them going off to there respective homes, and schools.

He was going to be all alone with the adults, and just the babies.

There was going to be no friends, or sisters.

It was going to be just him.

He was really going to miss every one and the fact he was started so soon was only good because it was going to be a distraction from the inevitable loneliness he was facing.

A night later and Lauren and Piers had said there good byes and were off to little winging, surrey again.

"Does part of you wish you were going with them?" Dudley had asked Ellouise as they waved them off.

"Yeah I guess a small part of me always will," she muttered. It had been her home for so long. It was special to her.

"Me too."

Going back to the Den he saw wit was the twenty seventh of august.

Not long now.

Part of her really didn't want to head back to Hogwarts. Summer had been fun, she didn't want it to end, she wasn't ready for it to!

I can't stop time, she thought to her self.

Getting ready to go back to Hogwarts was on every ones mind.

The thirty first was the worst though.

She had to go back to the cottage that day good bye to her cousin.

Leaving Dudley was always so hard for her.

"I am really going to miss you," she said as they sat on the sofa.

He had her tight in his arms and she laid her head on his chest listening to the strong heart beat that lay in side.

"I know," he said smelling her hair for comfort. She was so familiar to him. The one thing that had never faltered.

"You just write if you need me to come home, you know I will."

"What just like you did firsts year Christmas," he said bitterly.

"You know that was different and my reasons for not holding true to that promise." she said equally annoyed by the subject matter as he was.

"I guess, but - you will be back this Christmas." he asked changing the subject to something more pleasant.

"Of courses, now I must go upstairs I need to go and say bye to Nan," she said.

"I love you," he told he , with pleadaaing eyes. He didn't want her to go.

"See you this winter." she said and heading for her Nan's room.

Going in to her Nan's room, Elle hugged Joyce tight. She hadn't spent enough time with her Gran that holiday and felt bad about it. She should have spent more time with the lovable old lady.  
"You come and see me the moment you get home cherub." Joyce to Elle.  
"But aren't you going to be off to Aunt Marge's soon?"  
"No I should think I'll be here for quite some time." she said as she sat in her arm chair.  
It only just struck Elle how old her Nan had become since she had lost the love of her life, Albert.  
He had been her best friend, Elle knew that. The way they had teased one another had made that clear to there grand daughter.  
Kissing her dear grandmother on last time Elle left the room.  
"See you soon, love you Nan." she said but her grandmother had become so invested in her own thoughts that she had not heard Ellouise.  
Heading back down the stairs she went in to the living room where her uncle sat.  
There was a lot of tension between the pair when they were alone still.  
"Look after your self ok?" she said to him as she sat by his side. "And Aunt Tunia." she said as she kissed his cheek in fare well for the term. She would miss him. She always had the chance that this term was going to be any different was zero.  
"You too prin - Elle. You too darling." he said biting his tongue as he went to call her his princess as he had when she had been a child.  
Leaving the cottage Elle knew it would be December before she saw any of them again. It was rather dishearten at times.  
The worst is over she thought. Well for today, then she had to say good bye to her god father. That really was going to get to her. but luckily she was going to be able to put that off till the morning.  
But there was a light at the end of the tunnel so to speak, and that light's name was Neville.  
She just simply could not wait to be in his arms again she thought.  
"I don't wanna close my eyes; I don't wanna fall asleep," she sung as she went on her way back to the den.  
"Who's a bit tone deaf today?" she heard a voice behind her. Turning to see her god mother there she gave her a grin.  
"Shut up Ruby," Elle gave her the evil eye playfully. "What have you been up too?" she asked as her god mum gave her a kiss on the fore head and wrapped her arm round her.  
"you don't know how long I haven't had a good walk in country air for babe, it was good, I wanted you to come but you were gone by the time I was looking for some one to come and every one else was getting ready for the new term. where were you babe!" she asked Elle.  
"Saying bye to Dud." Elle said sadly feeling a tad lost. When she put it so bluntly it did hurt the thirteen year old Gryffindor.  
"Ahh baby I'm sorry, I know how close you two are," Ruby said with sympathy for her god daughter. "Are you going to be ok?" she asked her.  
"Of course I'm going to be ok," Elle said trying to be nice and bright like she always was. "I always am."  
Ruby felt a pang of regret at that, as much as when she was in front of Remus she stood by her choice, she did feel guilt for all the things she should have been there for in Elle's life. She knew she had sharked her responsibility to her god daughter when she should have stood by her.  
"Good girl, why don't we get back now?" she said.  
"Yeah let's go." Elle nodded.

The feeling of loss for Dudley did not leave Elle that day. What he said about going with Lauren and Piers stuck with her too. She wished she had in a way even though that would have been a coward's way out.  
No one wanted to be in a war and that including the young marauder. She how ever felt just last year she shouldn't turn to any one. Every one had there one worries and she wasn't going to add to that especially with her parents. They had a lot on between all there four kids. And beside she was a big sister now, no longer was she the baby of the family. To her that changed a lot.   
"Mistress," she heard as she was in her room that night.  
"Yes ditty," she turned to the house elf.  
"Your mother craves a word, she has been asking me to get you and master Harry to go in to her and your father's room." she said to Elle.  
"Very well." she said and went to the main chamber of the marauders den.  
In a word, her mum and dads chambers were _stunning_. Blood red, trimmed with gold, they looked like they truly did belong to a king or a queen of old.  
It seemed to demand a respect all in its own right.  
Going in to the room, she saw she was the last to arrive.  
Her father was as ever working hard and Elle just hoped he could get home before the morning came. It wouldn't feel right going off to Hogwarts with out saying good bye to her father.  
"Hi baby, come on me and Harry are just going to have a chat and I want you to be here to." she said and Elle sat on the other side of her mum on the sofa that was in her room.  
"Right kids I am only going to say this once, so listen up: no, and I mean no, life and death situations or I will kill you both pain fully my self, and then bring you back to clear up the mess," she said smiling to her kids sweetly. "Has mummy made her self clear?" she said joking around with the two.

"Crystal." Elle said as she and her brother collapsed in hysterics.  
There mother laughed with them. Pulling them close to her Lily gave them both a kiss and held them tightly.  
"And that is a promise not a threat ok? I love you both so much and I want you to promise to keep your selves safe, babies." she said.  
"You know we can't promise but we'll try mum," said Harry as he laid his head on her shoulder. "We love you too mum." he said.  
"I know you do my sweet hearts!" she said as they held on to one another.  
"This summer was the best!" said Elle, as she thought of all they had one. The wedding, the beach, her good mums return.  
"I'll miss it," said Harry.  
It wasn't long till Lily was the only one awake holding both of her sleeping eldest tightly, thinking.  
What if she did lose them to the war?  
She was there mum and she didn't have a life with out her kids, not any more.  
The only thing she knew how to be any more was a mum.  
She would be lost if she did not have that to cling to.

-----------------------------------------------------------  
Getting on to the train Elle was upset to find she had been proved right on the score of her fathers work load. He had called though the mirror to see the kids off but he knew it hadn't been the same and the kids wanted him there.  
He was doing this for the good of the family that had been what he had had to tell him self to keep focused. He had tried to get out of it, but Jesus they wouldn't let him. The gits.  
On the plat form Moony had taken his god daughters hands through the window and kissed them.  
"You're just mirror away right Moony?" she asked.  
"Of course, you know I am and I always will be." he said and watched he well up.  
She didn't want to back this year. She wanted to stay with Dudley and be with the twins as they grew.  
"I - i don't wanna go," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek.  
She had more will to stay than to go.  
Fiddling with the lock she tried to undo it but Moony just took her hands again.  
"Sweet heart you have to go," he told her. She had missed too much time last year of her studies and she had to keep up as well as stay with the kids her age. "Please don't cry love I hate it when you cry," he said as he wiped her tear away. "You'll be home before you know It." he said and back off as the train begun moving.  
He knew he was going to have to wait three entire months before he was reunited with his beloved goddaughter. What ever was he going to do with out her?  
Turning round and wiping away her tears she had a strange feel of dread about the up coming term.  
"Stop being silly Elle," she said to her self and went to find her brother.  
When she got to the carriage she found a pleasant surprise though.  
"Neville!" she shouted in joy and run in to his awkward arms. He wrapped her in them finding it hard and kissed the top of her head and smiling slightly.  
He had missed her so.  
Turning her head to look at him he was shocked.  
"You've been crying, what over?" he asked.  
Leaning in to him she shook her head. "I can't remember!" she said honestly now that she was with him.  
Things were going to be ok after all. They were going to have a great term.  
They were going to hang out in the common room, and go swimming in the lake.  
This term is going to be good, she told her self, it would be as it _had_ to be.

The rest of the train ride went peacefully eating and talking about the summer they had just had.  
Ginny introduced her friend Luna Lovegood to the group and even though she seemed, well a bit weird, they invited her to sit with them and talk to her.  
Elle found out that her father run the quibbler a wizarding magazine. Not very successful, she thought but it was something.  
"Cool," she had told the girl as she and Neville had sat hand in hand.  
Looking out the window she gave a slight grin.  
What had she been crying over? She was off to Hogwarts, she was going home.  
Things were going to be great.  
Getting to the great hall they were all grateful. Hunger always hit before the end of the train ride and that year had been no exception.  
"Oh god." said Beth as they sat at the table. "Look at the new defence teacher."  
Elle looked at the table and just as was every one else was disgusted by what she saw. She looked like a toad. An actual human toad.  
"Dumbledore isn't going to let that _thing_ teacher us is he?" asked Ginny from across the table  
"I don't know," said Harry to his girl, "but I hope not."   
"I have a few start of term notices," said Dumbledore. "But for now they can wait. Let's dig in." he said to the students.  
"He was dropping in and out all summer to den and he never spoke to me once, "her brother said to his friends.  
"Don't worry about it." was Ron's advice. "He is a busy man he has a lot of things to do."  
"Yeah I guess!" nodded Harry. "Ouch." he said and covered his fore head.  
"Your scar?" Elle asked and got a nod back.  
As they finished all the food they turned to the head table.  
That was when Elle noticed something or should she say some one, missing.  
"Where's Hagrid?" she asked.  
She had always been rather close to the giant since she had came to Hogwarts which was rather surprising at times considering the fact he had given her cousin a pigs tail but still. He was a friend of hers and she felt love for the old giant. It was so rare he wasn't at dinner. In fact he was never not at the dinner table.  
"He's probably just late." said Neville.  
"No he isn't late, he never is, he's Hagrid," Elle insisted to think of it he hadn't brought in the firsts years.

Sighing Remus hadn't felt so alone in a year. He loved the summer; having the kids for six straight weeks and now again they had gone.

"We used to make our parents feel the same," said lily. "It almost makes you feel guilty."

"I know it does, but we didn't see it as a crime, and it is not. They only go because it is what bests and we know it is too."

"If there was only a way they could come home every night." she said. "It'll stop my worry for them."

"And mine, but they would not even if they could."

"Maybe not always, but sometimes." he said. "Just sometimes."


	7. Love Changes Everything

Chapter 7

"Oh my god, kill me now." said Beth as they got there time table.

"It is going to be a long year!" agreed Elle as she also looked at it.

"What is it?" asked Hermione.

"We have defense on Monday, followed straight up by potions." said Elle.

"Joy to the world." teased Ron.

"Shut it." Threatened Emily, as they sat side by side.

"Sorry Em." he said and pecked her on the cheek.

"Ok I can live with you two being together but come on not at the break fast table, that's nasty, I'm eating." said Beth.

"Sorry" said Emily as she blushed and let go of Ron, who looked embarrassed at Hermione.

"We better get going," said Beth. She had picked up on the tension between the two fifth years.

Please don't hurt Emily, she thought. Though Emily wasn't as Elle and she were now she didn't want to see her in pain.

Defense was just as horrible as they had predicted.

As they were about to get there wands out they were told not to.

How on earth were they going to do defense with out a wand.

"But miss." protested Beth.

"No miss Hill," said Umbridge in reply.

"Bitch." Muttered Emily.

"What was that Miss Dray?" she asked sweetly.

"Nothing Professor." she said

One of the things Elle had been looking forward to this year was her new classes. As a third year she got to drop flying and take on as many as she could juggle.

Because her parents had not wanted her to take on to many things this year after everything that had happened last year, she had only picked up two.

The class she had been the most had been care of magical creatures. That had been because she had known she was going to be taught by one of her best friends. Rubues Hagrid.

How ever that had gone down the pan.

He was gone and she didn't know where..

Neville had said it was nothing to worry about but she wasn't so sure any more.

"He's never away," she said to Beth.

"We're all allowed a break." she said to her.

"I know, but don't you think it's a bit weird though." She said. "Don't you think so?" she asked.

"I think you are worrying to much Ellouise," she said with a great concern. She had seen last year what worry could do to her friend.

"I guess." she said Beth.

Getting to class they found they were studying the flobber worm that was intensely boring so they just run over the summer.

"So are you ok with your mum and Sirius now?" Ellouise asked.

"It's weird, I've never had a dad or a dad figure before, but I guess is kinda cool." she admitted. She was softening to him as time went on.

"I thought he was a loser." teased Elle.

"He is, he's just a very cool loser."

---

"Right time for me and you to get cracking darling," said lily ass she sat in the garden with her nephew. "Shall we start with a bit of history baby?" Asked lily.

"Yes, that sounds good." said Dudley but Lily knew he was feeling lost. He seemed to be down since the others had all gone of.

"Right for this term we have to cover the suffragettes." lily told him.

"Was that Emily Pankhurst's lot?" he asked. He had heard of them before.

"Yeah it was," said lily as she begun to teach.

Up in the house sat a women and a man giving reach other death stares as they watched the two babies.

"I can't take this," Ruby gave in finally. "What do you what Remus? I was wrong ok?"

"No it isn't. Nothing is more important to me than this family, why is it when things in it get a little rough you always buckle. We have to work at this if we want it to happen." he told her.

"I know that ok, and I do want to, it was just. You saw what things were like for me when we were kids, Remus. Nothing was easy." she said.

"Oh yeah cause things have been a bed of roses for me!"

"You what I am trying now to make things up to you and to Elle when she is home, but what good is that when you just won't listen to me."

Remus had to admit she had a point there, but god what was he met to do.

She had had fourteen years to come back.

He knew he was being stubborn but it was with good reason.

He didn't want to be taken in by her all over again he wasn't up for it to happen to him again.

"I just don't know if I can forgive you Ruby." he said.

"Well give it a go baby. I did want to be with you, part of me but things got in the way. We can have a future, we can have the world and all its charms I know we can but you have to give me a chance first or that really can never be." she said to him trying to talk him round. She had waited to long for this just not to turn out for her the way she had thought it might be. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't feel any thing for me any more." he said to her.

Shaking his head and looking in another direction he knew she was playing him "You know I can't do that."

He had proved that the night she had returned to him. Despite the fact they had not done any thing to series the way he had held her. Lord it had meant the world to her, just to feel that again like when she had been a girl.

Why was she so in to him?

---

Getting back from her classes to find Neville in the common room Elle gave him a kiss.

"You alright." she asked as she sat by his side.

"Yeah just thinking." he said to her.

"What about?"

"nothing important." he lied to her.

He had been thinking about his parents. He was thinking he should tell Elle. The burden had been beginning to get to much to carry on his own. If he hadn't of had her he was sure he would have been fine but god now she was so close to him.

It was like there shouldn't be any secrets between them, like it was just wrong.

"If your sure darling," said Elle as she got out some work to do.

"Things change when your in love don't they?" he asked her with a wonder in his beautiful eyes.

"Yes sweet heart but for the better, you don't regret us do you?" she said, feeling guilty. She still wasn't sure if she did love him that was. He was so…the boy next door. So sure and dependable. I am such a bitch. She thought to herself.

"That's something I could never do Ellouise you know that. I just - things they seemed different than yesterday, if you get my meaning."

"I do but baby, why are you saying all this now," he said taking one off his hands in hers. "What's brought this on?"

"The fact I can. I never had some one to talk to like thinks before and I know you had Fred so its not as special…"

"Don't you dare say that," she said to him cutting him off. "you mean so much to me Neville, I know I don't always show it, and I know it must seemed at times every comes before you in my life, but they rarely do." she said hugging him. "you're my rock , Neville. No ones there for me as unconditionally as you are darekung," she said putting her head on his chest.

That qqasa the good thing about them he guessed. When ever things got to bad they were able to lay there hands on each other and calm down.

"are you sure your ok." she asked.

"we're together, of course I am."


	8. Decisions

Chapter 8

After they had talked Elle begun to wonder what he had been thinking about. If she had something on her mind she always told him.

What if he couldn't though, was the thought that entered her mind. What if he was doing what Fred had?

Oh shut up Ellouise she told her self. Neville was nothing like Fred. He was loving caring, everything he should be in her eyes. He was perfect.

"Earth to Elle," she heard.

"What's up Mione," she asked her.

"I was wondering if you want to carry on training this week or leave it." Hermione asked.

"No let's get going ASAP!" she said. She was stronger now than she had been last term she was going to be able to do this term she was sure.

"Well, we have a lot to do, met me in the usual place and I'll explain." she said to her.

Nodding Elle watched as she went off to her next class.

Going up to the room of requirement later that day, Hermione was already there.

"Right, what's next," she asked.

"We have to try and bond with our animal," she said to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Watch this, it'll probably be easier to get that way," she said to her as Ellouise nodded.

"Animago!" the young witch charmed as she started off in the way that they had ended last year.

As the owl animagus formed it was a lot stronger that it had been last time Hermione had try.

"Here," she called to it and though it was hesitant the owl flow down to her arm and sat.

However when she tried to stroke him it reared back and flew off till it disappeared.

"You see what I mean. In the end ultimately, we have to try and control the animal, only then is it going to be safe for us to transform."

"Right then lets go and give this ago," said Ellouise as she stood up ready to copy what the other girl had done.

As ever the fox was weaker in colour and stayed for less time than the owl had been able to stay but Ellouise seemed to be able to bond more freely than Hermione had.

Thinking on it Hermione guessed she should have known that was going to be the case. Ellouise had had to bond with people with out reservation to survive these past few years.

"That's right darling, it's ok," Elle said to the fox as it curled up in her lap and allowed her to stroke it.

"Nice Elle." said Hermione impressed. "Good work."

"So we going to give it another go," she said as they got to work.

How ever because of the amount of home work the fifth years were getting right then it was only possible for them to do half an hours work. Hermione had to get back.

Settling in for the night in the common room, Elle watched as her brother came in to the common room.

"What is it?" she asked as she saw the look on his face.

"He had a run in with Umbridge," said Ron as he followed on.

"I have a week of detentions." said Harry moodily.

"What did you do?" asked Ellouise as she went to her brother's side.

"I told the truth." he said to her. "No questioned what I said when they were crying for Cedric," he said as he looked out of the window to the lake. "No one thought I was crazy then."

"Take no notice of them bruv, wee no better and we're the ones that matter, the family right?" she said to him and he nodded knowing she was talking sense

"I'm not mad Elle, I saw him come back," he said to her.

"I know you did." she said nodding, filled with compassion for her brother. "Your a good person Harry. That's all any one should see when they look at you. You do what you judge to be best, nothing else." she said to him sitting by his side. "I know we're a crazy lot but it's like I say all that matters is the family, and we've sorted out bigger, better people than that bitch in our time. Don't worry about her. So what you'll have to scrub a few cauldrons. She'll be the one looking a fool when the truth is out." she said to him.

"I guess so." he nodded. "What would I do with out you sis."

"Listen to the same thing from Hermione." she said and wondered off to do what ever she had to for the next day's classes.

Kissing his neck and rubbing his shoulders as he got on to there bad, Mel nuzzled hungry on to him.

"Mrs. Black, where do you get all this energy." he asked. Not that he was complaining.

"You," she said to him as he held on to her.

God if they had told her she would be with him ten years ago, that her life would have turned out like this she would have laughed.

But it had and she wouldn't change a thing. Not Voldemort's return,

It seemed in a strange way it make life a lot more beautiful, because they maybe doomed.

"I am glad to hear It." he said to her as he laughed back.

"I need to talk to you." She said to him.

"What is it darling?" he asked stroking her cheek.

"Do you remember Valentines and what we spoke about," she asked him.

"Of course I do, do you still want to go ahead with it.

"More than anything in this world." She said to him as he held her tightly. "When I was with out you, I was lost, I tried to move on but, I couldn't. I fooled myself in to thinking I didn't love you, or need you." she said to him as she heard his heart beat.

"You don't need me." he said to her. She was strong.

"Yes I do, you don't know how much." she said to him. "I want us to be a family. Me you, Beth and our baby." she said to him. "Seeing Lily and James, and them with there children. I want that for us darling, we deserve it after the time we have wanted for it to be ours." she said.

"I want it to, I would love to be a father, I just don't know if I'd be any good at it," he said to her doubting himself.

"I know you would. I watched you this summer, not just with Beth and Harry but with Elle, and the twins, and Dudley. You great with them all. They love you Sirius because you offer them love in return and its unconditionally. I know it'd be the same if I gave you a baby. I want too; I want us to have that baby. When were young, kids were everything to us. Do you remember the day Lily had Harry?" she asked.

"How can I forgot." when he had seen his friends after they had had there first boon. They had never had such grins. They were so proud.

James couldn't take his eyes of his boy.

And to this day the same proud gaze was in his eyes when he saw his son. He knew James had nothing if he did not have his wife and kids.

They were everything to him and he treasured them

"Ok, I don't know how good I'd' be but I trust in you, and I think we should go for it." he smiled and kissed her.

"I love you."

A/n: Sorry it's so late!

Rocks-my-socks

Review!


	9. Confused Emotions

Chapter 9

Coming in from work late the husband out his arms round his wife.

"Sorry I'm late," he said to her.

"Your home now, it doesn't matter" she said to him and kissed him. She had been looking forward to this all day.

"Oh crap," she said as she heard her son begin to cry.

She couldn't just leave him.

"Oh come on Mark, mummy wants some time with your daddy before she goes to sleep tonight," she said to her son whispering but he screamed louder, eventually waking his sister.

"Oh Summer come to your daddy," said James ass he picked up his daughter.

Half an a hour later the Potter's found themselves on the sofa.

James had one arm supporting his four month old girl and the other was wrapped tightly round his wife and son who had gone to sleep eventually.

"I love you Lily," he said to her as she followed the kids and went in to dreams.

James knew if only his eldest two were there he would have been able to stay in that moment for ever.

For once he felt peace. Just utter peace…

"That looks really sore," said Elle to her brother the next night as he got back from his first detention with Umbridge.

"It is," he said to her.

"I'm not even lying." he said to her.

"I know your not, she's just bitter that she's wrong," said Ellouise.

"Well I still have another week to do." He said.

"Why don't you just not go," said Beth.

"I'd get in more trouble." he shrugged.

"You don't think there all going to be like this do you," Elle said to him.

"Yes, Elle," he said to her. "I think there all going to be just like this."

"Why don't you write to dad, he might be able to - well I don't know, but if he knew all this was going on he would want to help you, put a stop to it if he could?"

"And what can he really do," he asked her raising an eye brow. "No I don't want to worry him, he has a lot on his plate." he shrugged what she had said off.

"And so do you. We all do Harry, every one in the maraudering family. But we pride our selves on being together. Don't shut me out, nor mum and dad." she said.

"You sounded just like dad then. It was something he would say to me, while mum just would ask me were my sense has gone.." he said.

"You never did have a lot to start with," she said as she held his hand.

It was only a little thing, but it really got to her to see him hurt.

"I guess not," he said as he moved forward and kissed her head. "You get off to bed soon ok, you have to get to class with the rest of us in the morning." he reminded her.

"I know," she said as he left the common room so it was just her and Beth.

"That's where him and Dudley are different," she said to Beth with a heavy sigh. "If Dudley gets upset then he will talk. Not Harry though. He doesn't have to be alone all the time I wish he would see that." she said.

"He has been through a lot that we haven't Ellouise, you have to remember that," Beth reminded her. "More than any of us have."

"I wish he hadn't Beth" she said.

"We all do." she said as they headed up to the dorm room.

As Beth laid in bed that night she knew she was going to be the last one off.

Around her she could hear the other girls breathing deeply, indicating they were deep in sleep, she wished she was.

She did worry about Elle. They hadn't always got on as well as perhaps they should have but after summer and everything, well they were sisters, just as there mothers had been before them.

Against the odds she knew if she had one friendship that was going to last through the ages it was her one with Elle and that was a comforting thought.

Smiling as she thought of how far they had both come since they had meat she rolled over and tried to go to sleep. As Harry had said she had class in the morning.

-------------------------

Once the classes were done with the next day Elle went to the lake just as she always had.

She had to get a reading book she thought to her self. She had none at the moment. She'd write to lily when she got up to the castle. Her mum would have some thing for her she was sure of it.

Looking over to the Quidditch pitch, she saw a familiar looking red head up there trying to charm the quaffle by the looks of things.

"Ron," she called up to him as she got to the pitch. He looked at her as if she had just busted his bubble or something.

With a smooth landing he was back on the ground with her and looked sheepish.

"What where you doing up there?" she asked him inquisitively.

" Well you know with the try outs coming up and stuff - I just thought - I'd like to, you know try out perhaps." he said to her the top of his ears going red.

"That would rock, having you on the team!" she said to him encouragingly.

"You think?" he asked with a coy smile.

"Well you're a Weasley aren't you," Elle asked him with a grin of her own.

"Yeah I am," he said proudly to her. "I can do this." he nodded.

"Yeah you can mates, but not the way you were. You're going to give your self a black eye if you keep trying to charm them to hit you. Come on, let a friend help you out,." she said to him.

"If I must," he said to her grateful.

"Yup I am going to make you," she said to him as she got a broom out of the shed and went up.

It was a bit of a laugh to be honest.

She never got a lot of time with Ron by him self, despite them being pretty good friends, they had hang out for the past three years after all. He was a brother to her, in many ways.

"Are you ok," said Ron as he saw her looking at something longingly. Going up next to her he saw what she had been looking at had been Hagrid's hut,

"I miss him so much when he isn't around for us."

"Me to Ellouise." He said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Its like Harry said when we were in our second year: there is no Hogwarts with out Hagrid," he told her. Whether or not that had been meant to be a comfort, she wasn't sure.

"Its getting cold. Why don't we go up to the common room," she said to him.

Entering the two found Harry and Hermione were already there but Hermione was not impressed with the twins.

"You can not use the firsts years to test out what ever you are doing next I don't care what you say!" she yelled. "Ron will you back me up!" she asked him

But it soon became clear to her that Ron was not going to stick up to his brothers for her.

"You know it wont kill you to back me up once in a while,." she said to him.

However Elle doubted that statement especially when it involved the twins, she wouldn't if it was her. She wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of one of there pranks, though may be it would be a bit of fun if they did,.

"A prank war," she said to her self. She had to do some thing to lighten the mood in the common room.

."What was that about pranks dear Ellouise," said George sarcastically.

"Watch your back Weasley," she said to him.

"That my dear friend sounds like a challenge." he said to her.

"Perhaps it is." she said more to her self than to him. All she knew was she was an heir of the marauders and there hadn't been enough maraudering around of late.

Time for some fun.

-------------------

"It is so quite round here," Ruby said to Remus as he came in to the living room where she had been sitting.

"I know it is." he said to her sympathetically, slightly. "I remember the first time after the kids had gone back. We all miss them." he told her.

"I know," she nodded. "Still they we'll get a Hogsmeade trop soon won't they?" s he asked.

"Yes and then we can go and see them both." he said to her smiling.

"What now, I know this sounds stupid, but I'm bored."

"So am I," he said to her nodding knowing the feeling. "Come on, if we're going to find something, it won't be in here." he said to her.

It seemed that since they had had a chat he was beginning to open up to her more and accept she was a part of his life again. She had ever made him smile a view times.

I'm not going to give this up ever again, she said to her self as they walked off together.

She had made that mistake once, she wouldn't be again.

------------------

Reading Ellouise's letter that she had just written home, lily smiled.

"Dud what do you think about going on a trip to Hogsmeade in a view days with me to see Ellouise and Harry would you be up for it?" she asked but really, she knew the answer.

"Yeah that would be wicked Lily." he said to her excited.

Since every one had gone back to there own reality's they had got so close. She was his best friend now.

Classes were a lot of fun and they both had giggling fits a lot.

How he had ever got along with out an aunt like Lily he never knew.

---------------------

As Elle got back to the common room after she had had her dinner she saw a lot of the group had got back before her.

"Is Harry at his detention," she asked.

"Yup," said Hermione from where she was sitting reading about some thing or another.

Sighing Elle felt dissatisfied. He shouldn't have to be doing this.

Ginny looked worried. She and Harry had been closer than ever lately, and she must have been told about what he had to do.

"I hope that cow doesn't make him do what she did yesterday," she said worried by what was going on to her beloved as were the rest of them.

Ginny had been waiting do long to be with Harry, it was just a shame in her eyes that when they did finally get to be together they did have to be in the middle of a war,

"Me to Ginny," Ellouise nodded as she caught sight of Neville.

Smiling at him she nodded to Ginny in good bye and walked over.

"Hello honey" she said to him as she sat by him on the sofa.

"He'll be ok," he said to her reassuringly,. He had hared what the girls had been talking about.

"yeah, I know, " she said grateful for the comfort he offered her

--------------------

As the order meeting let out every one got involved in there own conversations, or dashed off to do we what they had to.

James sat at the table with a coffee talking to Lily, he wanted to be with her more but he had to work. He hated working for the ministry that called is son a liar though/. He knew his boy and he knew he wouldn't tell a lie.

"It'll ease up soon," his wife said to him.

"Will it babe?" he asked her, "I want to be with you and the kids." he said to her.

"I know you do, and you will be. But you know you have to do this." she said to him "We, the order have to have people inn the ministry" she said to him.

"I know we do, of course I know!" he said to her nodding. "Can we go up to bed now." he asked her.

Nodding with a slight chuckle, she smiled. Kissing his fore head she took his hand. "Yeah come on sweet heart," she said to him. "We're going to go up guys, well see you in the morning," she said to the others.

"Ok, night Lily," said Mel. "I might go up in a bit too," she said to the girl she had been talking to before heading off to snugly up to her husband.

The girl she had been speaking with had been talking too had been Tonks.

She had in return made small talk but she hadn't come her to see Mel.

Well she had come here to be at the meeting but another key attraction for her had been Remus.

How ever she wasn't sure she was going to have a lot of luck now that his old flame was back.

But maybe then again she might be wrong.

He was coming to talk to her.

This was why the were wolf was confused. As much fun he had been having with his Ruby that day he was still deeply attracted to the young auror.

He was going to have to talk to James and Sirius. There was nothing else for it.

He had no idea who he wanted to be with any more.

Things had been simpler with is god daughter had been the only women in his life.


	10. Like Godfather, Like Goddaughter

Chapter 10

"Ellouise!" Remus called through the mirror to her.

It had been awhile since they had talked and he had to ask her a question.

It was early on a brisk Friday morning.

Elle loved Fridays purely for the reasons she had neither potions nor defense. To think that it had once been her favorite subject for her was hard. That bloody Umbridge had wrecked it for her.

She still wondered what if her god father had never left. She wished he hadn't.

"Hey you," she said as she sat on her bed getting ready for the day. She was dressed, she just had to get her books together.

"Can have minute?" He asked.

"I'll be generous and give you two if you want." She teased him.

"Oh I am honored my lady." he said and was pleased to hear her laugh. It had been a sound he had missed sorely while they hadn't spoke.

"No honey this is kind of in a way serious." he said to her.

"Ok you have me interested now, what is it? You're not in any trouble are you?" she asked worried for a second.

"No, no darling it is nothing like that sweet pea relax. Its just well, what would you think if I well - started dating again?" he asked her. Her opinion mattered to him.

"You and Ruby?" she asked him.

"Possibly but I do not want you getting excited, you see Tonks, well we were getting along well before your god mother came back and I have to admit I like her a lot. May I shouldn't date her; the werewolf stuff and all. That never matter when I was with Ruby," he told her.

Sighing Elle didn't know what to tell him. As much as she did want her god parents to get back together and be a couple again like they had been before she had been born, she knew he had to do what was right for him.

"Well it looks like the balls in your court Remus, you have to do what's right for you ok, and I'll stand by you what ever way you go with this. I love you." she said. "But I don't think Tonks will worry you're a werewolf. She's really nice."

"Thank you baby." he said to her. "It helps to know you're behind me on this one!" he nodded.

"Remus when aren't I?" she said to him. "But if you do go for Tonks, just let Ruby down gently. I don't want to lose her before I know her Remus." She said.

"I know you don't and I promise I won't let her go away again." He said.

"Wicked," she smiled. "I have to get to class now," she said to him and said her good bye before shutting the mirror.

Going down the stairs to the common room, she saw Fred.

"Where's Neville," she asked him.

"Gone down to break fast already," he said to her.

This was happening more and more.

"The group doesn't seem as close as it did when we were younger do it?" she asked him.

"No I don't think it does," he said to her. "I just thought well its not nice going down by your self and we're friends, and well - can I walk you down?" he asked

"With an offer like that how can I say no!" she laughed and off they went.

Getting to the hall though she went straight to be with the fifth years, where they sat, leaving him behind her.

"Sorry I took so long this morning," she said to them as she kissed Neville's cheek.

"What was it?" he asked.

"just Remus had to talk to me about something," she said and gave Harry an 'I'll explain a bit later on' look.

"Ok," he said and they tucked in to breakfast.

------------

"Good morning my little ones," cooed Lily over her son and her daughter.

They were in the living room, and she had set a blanket on the floor and they lay on it wide awake, feed and changed, happily playing.

"Morning to you too," she heard a voice say as her sisters blond son came in.

"Oh hi sweet heart, come on in, Ruby isn't quite ready yet to take the babies, you can hold them for a bit if you want." she said.

As she could have predicted he went s6traight for his god daughter.

"Morning darling," he said to her.

Picking up Mark her self, she smoothed down his patch of red hair.

It was weird how the kids had turned out.

Elle and Harry had been clones of there parents, except the eyes, but, the babies were a totally mis match.

It hadn't been along time since they were born when it became clear to Lily that instead of taking after them, Mark was going to be like his grand mother on James's side.

He had her beautiful blue eyes which had a mystical look about them.

Summer had taken on her fathers though just as her sister had before her, and her grand mother Roses blond hair.

"I do hate it when the others are away," she said to Dudley quite suddenly feeling maternal. "I wish Harry and Elle could come back more. Things seem littler greyer with out them here." she said to her dear nephew.

"I know they do lily," he said. "I miss them too."

------------------

"Hey," she said as she welcomed him back for lunch. "I wasn't expecting you back, did you forget something?" she asked.

"No, and does a husband need a reason to want to eat his lunch his wife?" he asked.

It had been a winle since he had been romantic with her and he knew she deserved spoiling, especially after what they had been through.

"No dear!" she said to him. "I'll go make you and me a san wich."

"Don't you dare, I came back to spoil you, you spoil me too often as it is," he said as he kissed her cheek affectionately.

"I'll just go sit out in the garden then and wait." she said to him.

Once Vernon had made two teas and sandwiches he took them out to his beautiful flower.

She sat in the chair with a book in her hands reading contently. She had been so content of late, more so than he had seen he in the many years they had been in love.

He guessed it was the fact that they did have such a big family surround them now.

They had wanted one of there own, in fact having planned to have four or even five children, but when they had lost Neesa, things went, well, fate took charge, as did greed.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Yes I was just thinking. It'll be Elle's birthday in a week or two. I'll have to go get her a card."

"Dear, you don't have to put a brave on it any more." he said to her looking in to eyes.

"Brave face on what darling," she said as she took a bit of her sandwich.

"On Vanessa's memory." he said bluntly.

The fact he had even dared to say her name was a shock for her.

The one topic they had stayed firmly away from since they had got back together was there poor little girl who had suffered an untimely death

"I know I don't," she said but just hearing her precious girls name from his lips brought her to tears. "Its not fair." she said to him.

She had lost her daughter near fourteen years ago to the day but still she had not got over her. She never would, she had got used to that a long time ago.

In no time at all she found she had been scooped in to her beloved's arms and was so being begun weeping hysterically.

"I want her back!" She wailed to him even thought it was hopeless. She just had to tell him how she felt.

When she looked back at him it became apparent she was not the only one crying.

Holding one another tightly, she realized that she was no longer alone in this. They were facing this together as man and wife.

Just then though the moment came to an end.

"Hey mum its just me, I forgot my text book this morning for history" they heard a voice a sighed as they realized there son was home.

"You go off to work love, "she said to him though she had no desire for him to leave her. She felt as

they had not been as close as they were now in years.

"Then I'll see you tonight my darling," he said to her.

"I can't find it mum." they heard a yell.

"Ok dear, I'm coming," she said and stalked off to her son to help him out.

-------------------

Did he take roses to her? Did he offer her quiet lunch's to her by the lake? Were they in love? Did she love him truly?

He had watched Neville with her and he treated her so differently to the way he had. He wondered if she liked it that way or not.

Fred Weasley was a mess.

After summer when Elle had let him back in, partially after the wedding he had begun to think of her again.

There was always the one person who always had your heart; he had been told when he was young.

Then he hadn't believed it, but now he knew he was never going to stop thinking about Ellouise, she was everything.

She sat in her usual chair looking in to the flames absently as Hermione got a potion to soothe Harry's hands together when he got back.

Tonight thank fully was his last detention and they were all pleased for him.

When he got back they bathed his hands at once, Hermione on one side Elle on the other, her gentle touch gliding over his hand.

For a moment Fred wished he was Harry, welcomed back like a hero, tenderly looked after by Ellouise.

He looked at her with a longing, and he swore, just for a second she looked back at him in the same fashion. Was she falling for him all over again?

But still once that was done she went straight back to Neville as if she was forcing herself to love him. They had never had to force it, it had always been there.

"I'm going up guys," he said at last.

"Alright night Fred!" said Harry.

"Night all!" he said and as he passed he winked at Ellouise, making her grin.

Later that night as she lay in her bed she felt utterly confused.

She had missed her Neville so over the holidays.

When ever she had needed him to hold her he had. But had he? Had he really?

Who was there to hold her last Christmas Eve? Who held her after Harry had been attacked by Voldemort.

Fred.

He had always been there for her; he had only made one mistake.

She knew she was weakening.

But it felt good to let him in, because they were - she didn't even know, but they were so special and that mean the world to her.

She didn't want to end things with Neville though. They got on together so well and he did care for her.

She cared for him in return too.

When she thought of valentines. The had had such fun together.

It seems like I'm in the same situation as Moony aren't I? She thought to herself.

She wanted to give them ago. They deserved a chance. Her and Neville.


	11. More Training

Chapter 11

"You have to tell mum or dad if your scar is hurting you Harry they would want to know, they wouldn't want you just to suffer in silence." Ellouise urged her brother from across the table wear he was sitting

"And what are they going to do wave a magic wand and make it all better," he said to her as if she was mad for second.

That would have sounded better if they were still at privet drive, he thought ho himself. "No Ellouise" he said to her.

Then the bell went. They had to get to class.

"Talk to him," said Ellouise to Hermione. She might get through to him thought the concerned sister.

The week end had come and gone all too soon for Ellouise, how ever she was excited over the next one for it was there first proper, allowed Hogsmeade trip.

"Can you try and talk a bit of sense in to him?" She asked Hermione as she went off with Beth and Emily.

"I'll see what I can do," she said with a wink and soon Ellouise was utterly bored in defense.

"I hate book work," she said to Emily.

"_Hem, hem_ miss potter, is there any need for you to talk," she heard a hated voice say to her.

"No miss," she said as she got on with it.

Later that day she found things had only got worse as she injured potions.

She had had it in her first year, she was alright at it but now, she was not as bad as Neville, but she was no Hermione in it either.

"Tell me Miss Potter," said Snape sarcastically. "Should your potion be brown?"

"I don't know," she said to him matching the sarcasm. "You're the teacher."

"Ten points from your house for your cheek miss potter, be grateful it isn't more." he said and stalked off to see what Emily had done.

Rolling her eyes to Beth she sighed. This just wasn't going to be were she excelled. She had excepted it, it was only Snape who had to now.

00000000000000000

Mean while back in the den Dudley was doing well at potions.

"You must have been pretty good at science to then," his aunt said to him.

"I never really found out. When I was a in as group of friends who mucked around a lot." he said to her.

"Ah right I bet you were a right jack the lad," she said to him.

"A bit and the teachers didn't appreciate it." he said. "I got to tell you I think I spent half my time in smelting in detention." he nodded.

"Well you have certainly calmed down my darling," she said as she watched him.

"I guess I have but some days I don't like it, being away from my friends, I do miss them!" he said to her.

"Of course you do, they were your friends. I remember when I left to go to Hogwarts. I was so lonely. I wrote to your mother every day telling her how much I missed her."

"What did she say in reply?"

"Dudley your mother wasn't so acceptant as magic as she is today, you know that. She didn't reply." said lily sadly. I gave up sending them in the end." she said.

"Mum can be a hard faced cow at times." Dudley comforted her.

11111111111111111111

Ron had to admit to being thrilled.

He had made it; he had got on the team.

"Why didn't you try out?" asked Fred to Elle later that night.

"Cause I have enough on my plate!" she said to him.

She had to try and be with Neville more. She had promised him more that term and she had to honor it if they were ever going to make a real go of things.

"It's a shame you're a good flyer, we could have down with you on the team." he said and wondered off.

Was she fooling herself?

She had never had to clear time to make things work with Fred.

But years had passed, and she had things to think of she hadn't in them days,

She remembered how peaceful they had seemed in the first term, well for a bit.

The lunch by the lake, the night in the ball room.

Oh god. He had spoiled her.

And she was in just the situation her god father was in, only it looked as if she didn't even have a choice, not really. She had made it already.

"You ok?" asked Neville.

"Yeah, just tired," she said to him. "Let's have a cuddle," she said to him as she moved in to him.

He held her. God when he did have her in her arms she had to admit he made her feel so loved, and secure and happy.

It was like nothing could harm her.

She was in a real stiff.

"Neville?"

"What is it," he asked as she saw a strange look come in to her eyes.

"Can I ask you something?" she said.

"Of course."

"I do make you feel loved, don't I? I mean you are happy with us and how we're going?"

"Of course I am, aren't you?" He said to her.

"Yeah I'm just being dumb." she said to him.

"You have your reasons, I mean I guess you do get worried, with all that's gone on." he said and kissed her. "Don't worry, babe," he said with a slight stutter, he found it hard to be romantic with her.

"Ok," she nodded and put her head in his lap.

111111111111111111111111

"Are you ok?" Sirius said to Mel as he got back, she seemed down.

"exhausted, had a bit of a let down today," she said.

"What happened." He asked. She had been in such a good mood when he had left that morning.

"I was two days late. I now it was stupid but I got over excited and thought…well I came on and m- yeah," she said with a sigh. "A false alarm!" she shrugged off her disappointment

She was so desperate to give him a baby of his own.

"Oh sweet heart," he said to her.

"I didn't tell you in case it was just a false alarm. May be I jinxed it!" she said to him.

"No you just, oh baby just come here and give me a hug!" he said as he took her in his arms.

"I know I am being silly."

"No your not, you thought you were going to have a baby and you were wrong. I am so sorry." he said to her.

"Yeah, me too!" she said to him as she went over to there bed. "I guess we are just going to have to try things again,"

"Indeed we will," he said grinning.

Looking towards the bathroom she smiled. "Go get ready then tiger," she said to him.

222222222222

Tuesday morning had come. Going in to the hall Elle saw Hermione, Harry and Ron and Ginny speaking in hushed voices.

"What is it?" she asked as she sensed something had gone wrong by the way that they were acting.

"Just the daily prophet praising Umbridge for all the good work she is doing here." said Harry bitterly.

"You have got to be kidding me," Elle said as they passed her the news paper.

"Oh this is all so full of crap," she said to them.

"Tell me about it," Hermione said back to her,. "Come on you two we have to trek over to care off magical creatures." she said but before they lefts passed Elle a note.

Sam time, same place.

Oh yes, thought Ellouise, more Animagus training.

The session had turned in to a gossip zone as well as training for the two were they talked out problems

The one of course laying on Elle's mind had to stay there for now or so she thought.

She didn't want to tell any one what she was feeling.

She felt as if, if she did speak of her confusion then she was evil must for saying it.

She had to work it out on her own for once in her life.

"Ready or not there we go!" said Elle to Hermione as she took up her wand.

The more she tried to get it the m ore excited she became.

The thought of the look on her father's face of utter pride when he saw her in her fox form.

She was going to cry at it when it came true she was sure of it.

"This means a lot to you doesn't it?" Asked Hermione.

"You know it does but when my dad and my uncles find out it'll mean even more to them. Think about it. I can go out with Remus in the summer and other times I am at home with them." she said excited. She had always wanted to be with him when he was in pain to try and make it better for him if she could.

"Yeah I guess you can," she said in reply.

"I know me and dad have had a lot problems since I went to the den, but this might be like a new start for us if I get it right." she said.

"He is going to be thrilled with the you just for the fact you are trying!"

-------------------------

The next day as Elle got in to the common room she saw the trio and Ron did not look in a good mood.

"What is it?" Ellouise asked him and Hermione gave her 'the don't ask' look but Ron told her any way.

"What's wrong? My stupid git of an elder brother!"

"Fred."

"It may be oblivious to your knowledge but he does have other brothers." Harry teased her.

"No Elle not Fred, Percy" he said furiously

"What has he done?"

"He wrote a letter to Ron about how bad an influence I am on him." he said.

"Oh well Ron clearly isn't going to take any notice.! Said Elle.

"No I don't think he will." said Harry.


	12. Moving On Up

Chapter 12

"This is all we need," said Lily to the rest of the order as they sighed.

"I thought they were just meant to be trying to defend the door, not as actually go through It." said Petunia referring to Sturgis Podmore's actions.

"Well yes that is half true. We were going to try and get to it sooner or later, just later." said Dumbledore. He found it hard when some one in his command disobeyed there orders. "He was clearly trying to speed things up."

"Fool." muttered Sirius.

"Indeed." agreed Vernon as the order sat round the table.

"So what now?" asked Lily.

"We go on and Podmore seems to have to do six months in Azkaban." Said James sighing. Even though he had disobeyed command he was a good man and would be missed.

"James is right, what ever the order must go on," said Dumbledore. They hadn't ever stopped when they lost members before. It was but a bullet in the arm. Not the heart…

"Now I think the meeting should continue, we have heard from Madame Maxime over in France," he told them all. "She has returned to her position as head mistress but the mission was not a success. We have not got the pact with the ginsta which we were hoping for" he said to the group.

This was the type of meeting Lily hated. The type where nothing went right for the order. Sighing she and took her tea to her lips.

It had simply been a bad night. The next one was going to be better.

Half an hour later the order meeting ended.

"We have to be off ok Lily, get back to Dudley." said Petunia.

"Ok night guys." she said as she saw them off.

Going back in to the living room she saw Tonks and Remus in there alone.

"Are we ever going to go out on this dinner?" she asked him.

"Well I sure as hell hope so, I had a great time last time we went." he smiled.

"I am so sorry about the wine." she said to him.

"Listen don't worry," he said. "It really doesn't matter."

-------------------

Ron had been getting on with his training for the team still. He was doing well but he lost faith in himself so easily the group found.

One night he stormed off to bed so upset thinking he was as he put it 'lousy'

"Was he?" Hermione had asked.

Harry shook his head honestly. "No, he wasn't the best but no way was he lousy."

Later that night Elle and Harry stayed yup with Hermione and Beth doing home work.

"We have so much," Beth complained. They hadn't been back a month.

"I know," said Ellouise.

"Aww poor ickle third years struggling." they heard a voice say from the fire.

"Hi Sirius!" said Elle and the four abandoned there homework.

"I got your letter." he said to Harry.

"So you did write in the end." Elle said and was shushed quickly.

"I am at work I have to be quick!" he said.

"You should like dad, he's always working to!" said Harry.

"Well he sends his love but any how - about your scar, I've talked to your mum and dad, as well as Dumbledore and they don't think it is too much to worry about mate. It kept aching last year too right?"

"Dumbledore said it did when Voldemort felt powerful emotions." he said.

"Well then now he is back we have to expect it to hurt more I guess." said Sirius solemnly. "Now what about this new teacher."

"She's foul Sirius."

"I know she is but from what I have heard from heard about her reputation she is no death eater." He said to the kids.

"She could be."

"No doubt, I know she is a nasty bit of work. She drafted a bit of anti werewolf legislation which makes it hard for your uncle to get a job!"

"I doubly hate her now." said Ellouise darkly, she hated any one who hurt her godfather.

"I know sweet heart," said Sirius. He could have predicted that bit getting her all fired up.

"So come on what are her lessons like?"

"Almost as fun as Snape's." said Beth to her step father who gave her sad smile.

"That bad kiddo."

"She doesn't let us do any magic, like practical stuff, at all!" complained Beth "It is all text book stuff, we can't be learning properly."

"I could have guessed that I guess. Me and your dad are getting all this ball up at the ministry about how Dumbledore is trying to get an army together to take on the ministry!" he said rolling his eyes.

"You have to be kidding," said Hermione.

"I wish I was kiddo!" he said to her. "He is more paranoid by the day and hates me and your dad working for them. He doesn't trust us kid, not one bit."

"Have you heard any news of Hagrid?" asked the kids.

"Now the less you ask on that, the better, you are going to be filled in on that soon," he said.

"Hagrid is going to be coming home to Hogwarts isn't he Sirius?" said Ellouise.

"Of course he is and I know he misses you guy's loads," he said. "So don't worry about him ok?"

"But we do, he's our friend."

"When is the next Hogsmeade trip guys?" Sirius wanted to know, changing the subject.

"October, the 14th!" Harry said with a smirk.

"Perfect see you and the birthday girl then!" he said.

Elle had to admit she was looking forward to her birthday! Who didn't?

11111111111111111111111111111111

That week brought more trouble Harry's way as it always did. He had another fight with Umbrigde and she ended up putting him back in detention.

Good one Harry, thought Elle.

That meant he was going to be in a bad mood again.

Sitting down one morning though there're was an article on Umbridge. She had become the high inquisitor what ever that was.

"Oh yeah a real success," said Ellouise sarcastically.

"Tell me about it, who ever did they speak to?" Harry asked.

"Malfoy's dad." said Hermione.

"What a surprise, they want to try speaking with our dad." She said bitterly.

"I could not agree with you more Ellouise." said Hermione. "Your dad would tell it how it is." she said to the two potter's.

"Well I have to go girls, see you!" he said as he dashed from the hall.

"Why is he on the run?" Ellouise asked.

"Because Angelina is on the war path, with him being in detention and all again." she said.

"I can't wait for the end of this year then I am never going to have to see her ever again with any luck." said Ellouise.

"Me and you both Elle." said Hermione.

-----------

When Harry got in to the common room that night he was in a bad mood again.

"Hello sunshine." his sister said.

"Oh shut it Ellouise." he said to her in reply.

"I had a good day to thank you Harry," she said sarcastically. "What's happened."

"Umbridge." He said to her.

"We don't think she is going to give Hagrid the warmest welcome back." said Hermione.

"Well then she doesn't but we will, and that what's count right?" said Ellouise.

"Yes, but you see Elle, we don't keno if she is going to let him come back and teach."

"She was in care of magical creatures today, and she was talking to Malfoy about his teaching."

"All she is going to get there is a bias opinion." Elle stated.

"And what she wouldn't get one of them from us?" said Harry,.

She felt so out of sorts at that. He always made her feel so stupid right now.

Walking out of the common room, she knew that if she went far she was going to get caught out of bed after curfew, but she just wanted to be by herself.

Going up to the room of requirement she sat down by herself.

She knew her brother had been thorough a lot but she hated the way there relationship was changing. Finding a bit of parchment she begun to write a letter.

Dear Dudley.

I miss you, and I miss the twins so much.

Things have got again tough here this term. God I wish I could come home sometimes. Harry isn't coping that well either.

You know how stubborn he gets.

I just, well sometimes a bit -

It doesn't matter.

Just write soon. Tell me all the gossip.

Love always,

Elle.

"Hey you," she heard a voice.

"How did you know I was here." she asked Fred.,

"Because a friend in need is a friend indeed," he said to her.

Opening his arms he received her in to them and smiled.

It hadn't been along time since they had had a hug but they had still both missed it.

"Thank you for finding Me." she said.

"As I said, I'm a friend, so I always will." he said to her.

"I was such a bitch to Harry., we're arguing." she sighed.

"Again?"

"We've never fought Fred, at least we never used to." she said to him worried.

"He is going through a hard time. Try talking to him, I think he'd appreciate it." he said to her.

------------

As it happened Fred turned out to be right and once the siblings had talked it through they got on better.

She agreed to stop being so sarcastic and he said he would try not to he in such a bad mood all the time.

Things seemed on the up.


	13. Birthday Girl

Chapter 13

"Elle, can I have a word?" said Hermione.

"You can have two if you wish." she said to her friend over the break fast table.

"Well you know this defense problem, it can't go on, we have to sort it out." she stated as she reached for the jam.

"I know but what can we do about It." she asked. She knew there was a solution they just had to find it.

"I think I have a solution, well a plan." she said. "I need you to put the word around. On Saturday in the Hogshead there is going to be a meeting. At twelve, you are going to be there right?" she said.

"Oh come on Hermione it's my birthday I want to be having a bit of fun not going to any meeting!" she said to her friend with a sigh.

"I know but Elle, this is really important that you turn up and then your going to have the rest of the day to do with as you please." she said.

Elle nodded. If it was that important…

It seemed the day was mapping out well actually. She was going to be going in to town with Beth, Ginny and Emily to do some major shopping at ten thirty, the meeting what ever it was about at twelve and then at one she was meeting her parents sat the Three Broomsticks for lunch and then Neville and her were going to be together for the rest of it.

She couldn't wait.

"You're excited," said Hermione.

"Yes, I can't wait."

090909090909090

The day came and Elle got up early.

Showering and down in the common room before every one else she settled down in the arm chair.

She didn't believe this was her third birthday here.

It didn't seem that long ago she was having girly sleep over's back at the drive.

Sighing as she looked at her charm bracelet, she grinned. She had so many charms now.

"Happy birthday." she heard her brother say to her as he walked in.

"Oh thanks Harry!" she said giving him a hug.

"How does it feel to be fourteen?" he asked.

"Good, I like it!" she smiled as they sat down.

"Well let's just hope this is a good year, you deserve it!" he told her.

"Yeah well we all do.," she said to him in return.

This was going to be a good year for her she felt it.

Going down to break fast with the girls had it together, before heading in to town for shopping.

Slowly twelve came around, and the five of them, Elle, Hermione, Ginny, Beth and Emily.

It turned out that Hermione had indeed got _the_ solution to the defense problem: with all his experience Harry was going to teach them.

Elle was rather excited by it.

"I think it is a great idea!" She spoke to the group as she sat in between Neville and Beth.

By the end it was decided that they were going to go ahead with it.

"You coming then," she said to Harry, as the meeting drew to a close. They had been getting on that day better than for a while, her and Harry.

"Yup!" he said and put his arm round her. He could not wait to see his mum and dad either.

Going in to the Three Broomsticks Harry, Elle, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Beth, Emily, the twins and Ginny went up to one of the private rooms where they had been told to.

In they went and it was clear who Elle was happiest to see.

"Dud!" she had had no idea he was going to come.

Laughing as his baby cousin ran in to his arms he received her happily. It had been a long six weeks for the teenager whose only friends all went to Hogwarts, or lived back in Surrey.

"How you doing?" he asked her.

"So much better for you being here." she smiled.

"Me too." he said.

The party was great fun.

She got a lot of presents.

New charms for her bracelet, robes, books.

She had a great day.

"I can not believe my baby girl is fourteen," James said to her.

"I can't believe it either, seems like only yesterday we had drunk too much and got carried away." teased Lily.

"Thanks mum, you make me sound like I was so wanted," Said Elle.

"You were never unwanted. Just unplanned." said Lily cheekily.

"That's Elle, just completely random." commented Dudley.

Every one laughed.

There were a lot of people there. The kids, Remus, Sirius, the potters, including the babies, Mel, Ruby and to Elle's slight surprise Tonks,

It seemed like Remus had made his choice.

In Elle's eyes there were must two people missing.

"Mum wasn't really up for it, you now with Vanessa." Dudley explained. "They told me to give you this though." he said and passed her a card.

Opening it the message read.

Darling,

Happy fourteenth birthday.

I am sure you are going to hear this alot today but we can not believe it.

So much has gone on in the past year, that wasn't very good, so we wish you all the best.

Happy birthday darling.

Love aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.

"Tell them thank you," Elle said to Dudley.

"I will," he said in reply.

"Good." she said and went back to the rest of the party.

"Are you having a good time?" she asked Neville. He seemed to have distanced himself from the conversation.

"Yes I just - you have a very big family Ellouise." he said to her. He had been stunned by it. He had met them before but now he was the boyfriend, they seemed a lot bigger.

And James seemed a lot more protective.

"I'm not," he said to her. It wasn't just there were so many of them. It was he had never got a chance to get this with his own parents.

"Neville." she said to him.

"I'll see you back in the common room." he said and left the room.

"What happened there," asked Beth as she passed Summer over to Ellouise.

"I genuinely have no idea." said Ellouise as she cradled her sister.

She had wanted him to stay so much.

"So," she said moving on as every one got involved in there own convocations again, only she went to Remus. "I guess you are planning on seeing a lot more of Tonks." she commented.

"I hope to be," he said as they sat down, Summer still with Ellouise.

"You have been honest with Ruby haven't you?" she asked.

"Of course I have. We had a very long talk last night. I don't think we shall ever love as we did." he said to her stroking Summer's little head of brown hair.

"Is it because of Tonks?"

"She is part of the reason yes but she is not all of it. The heart does things for reasons the heart can not explain some times Ellouise. You know that."

"Yes I do. And if this is what is going to make you happy, then you have to go for It." she said to him smiling as he smiled back.

"I am glad that I have your blessing my dear. It means an awful lot to me." he said.

"I know, and yours does to me too." she said to him.

All too soon the afternoon drew to a close though and by five they were all back at Hogwarts.

"Did you have a good day?" Hermione asked Elle.

"Amazing." she said as Neville caught her eye.

Excusing herself she went down to him.

"What went on today?" she asked him.

"Too much!" he said to her.

Far too much for his liking. He hadn't meant to get so jealous. He hadn't felt like that since he had been young but…

He remembered seeing all the families when he was young. They were always having fun and he wanted to be part of that.

He had hated the kids who had it at times. What gave the right to have to have that happiness and not him.

And then watching Ellouise there today with her huge family.

It had got to him.

"I really wanted you to be there today." she said to him.

"I wanted to be - really I did, but I couldn't be," he said to her.

"Why? Did you have a detention or something?"

"No."

"Then I just don't understand." she said to him.

"You wont." he said to her.

"If you let me in I might."

"No Ellouise, today's your birthday." he said to her smiling weakly at her. "You have to enjoy it."

But she couldn't. The feeling that they had a secret between them hurt.

She loathed having things kept from her.

"Please…" she said to him.

"No Ellouise just stop." he said and walked off.

"Maybe its just his time of the month," said Beth from behind her sarcastically.

"I think there's something more to It.," she said to her friend honestly.

This was the only thing coming between Elle and Neville, but Elle felt as if it didn't come out soon it really was going to destroy them. She just could take the silence it brought between them, especially today.

000000

Monday only brought more bad news.

All clubs were going to be demolished, by order of the high inquisitor of Hogwarts.

"She's found out." said Elle.

"I know but from who, that has to be the big question." Harry said to her.

All she could do was shrug, she had no idea.

At breakfast something else hut them too though.

"this is going to affect the Quidditch teams isn't it?" said Angelina.

Harry nodded.

Oh my god thought Elle. She suddenly had a bad feeling about the week.


	14. The DA Begins

Chapter 14

There was a great friction between Ellouise and Neville for the next few days and her friends as well as they picked it up easily.

Harry as ever with his sister's love affair was caught in the middle, for he was a friend to Neville, and a brother to Elle. They were still talking but at times it seemed barely. .

But when Wednesday came Elle found herself worrying for him.

"Are the rumors true?" asked Beth. "Did Neville try to hit Malfoy?"

"That's what I want to know!" said Ellouise to her. "I am going to find him, she said and run off.

When she did in the end catch up with him he was at the lake and it was clear to her he had been crying. When he caught sight of her coming to her he made a half hearted attempted to clear his face of tears but she rushed to stop him.

"Talk to me," she said to him taking his hands in her own and kissing them.

Slowly stroking away the tears herself in the end she looked in to her eyes as she hadn't since last week, before her birthday. "We're best friends, not just together." she pointed out to him.

He how ever seemed a lot more content just hold her.

He hugged her fiercely. From the way he held her she knew there was something badly wrong, but he was unwilling to talk as she had begged him to.

In the end she didn't push it, as he had been so upset.

"I will tell soon, but not yet. Elle I can't." he said, frustrating her further.

"I know you will." she said pouting a brave face on. "When ever your ready darling." she said to him taking his hand, "shall we head up to thee castle?"

"Yes." he said to her taking it, and nodding. "Thank you," he said to her.

"Its no problem," she said to him.

It had to be the week for tears or something because the next day there were more at Hogwarts, this time it was from the divinations teacher.

She was being removed, by Umbridge!

Only the good for nothing Slytherins thought it was a good thing.

"Come on professor," Lavender was trying to calm her down.

"You can't through me out of my home!" the divination teacher cried.

"What's happened to her?" asked Ellouise to Ron.

"She didn't have a good inspection." he told her brushing it aside. "You better go and find Harry, it was another bad day." he told her.

Running and doing as the Weasley had advised her she found him quickly in the common room.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Hedwig turned up today, Elle she was hurt!" he told her. She knew how much he cared for his owl, it seemed to really get to him and she didn't blame him.

God forbid the git who ever hurt her Lucky who came up by her feet.

"Who?" she asked him lifting her cat up in to her in to her arms.

"Who else: Umbridge," said Hermione bitterly.

"She's watching my every move." said Harry.

"Oh lord Harry." said Ellouise, "what's she waiting for? What is she looking for?"

"I don't know."

"Every bad thing that happens here leads me back to her." she said to him. "Maybe she's looking for some thing about Remus. You know how prejudice she is against him. What he is…" Harry told her.

"Well he is a good man and she is getting no shit on him." Elle said. .

Elle called Remus through the mirror that night and told him what had gone on later that day.

"That woman has a lot to answer for." He said in a low growl.

"Tell me about it." she said to him. "So what have you been up too?" she asked. It seemed an aged since Saturday.

"Nothing much, just seeing Tonks." he said to her.

"You two are getting on then?" she smirked.

"Yeah we are kiddo," he smiled back at her. "Really well."

"I am glad for you." she said to him.

"Good, now you and Harry just keep your chins up ok?" he said. "And don't worry about Umbridge." he told her.

"I won't," Elle promised.

With that the conversation ended.

----------

Ruby had to admit the view from where she was sitting was rather… Grey.

Now her former lover had moved on she had nothing to focus on in her god daughters absents but the babies.

They were cute, but she got no conversations from them, only growls and gurgles.

At nearly five months sleeping through and were slowly going on to bottles.

"I can't believe how fast they have grown." Lily smiled.

"Me neither," said James as they stood over there babies cribs.

"It's good to see you so alive to. Your half dead sometimes." she said to him.

"Well that's better off than I was a few years back. Only half this time," he said and she laughed.

"I guess its is."

"Do you ever wondered how it happened, us being granted another life?" he asked her.

"We were in different places, for a long time." she said to him. "And yes I remember, I remember every day." she said almost mournfully. "I was with my mother and our niece." she admitted. She had never opened up, not on this matter at least.

"You saw Vanessa?" he asked her.

"Yes I saw her." she said. "I raised her. Not as my own, but I helped."

"Still makes no sense." he said to her,.

"Yes, it does. Blood magic is a wonderful thing James, it saved Harry in his first year, it has saved both of us, and one day it might just save Nessa." she said to him

"But she's dead."

"I know, but when has a little thing like being dead ever stopped any one in this family."

"I guess. Did you ever tell your sister?"

"No!" she said. The idea was stupid. She didn't want to build her sisters hopes. "She may never come.,"

-------

Wednesday night was to be the first meeting of the group despite the order that there were not to be any clubs.

Going up to the room of requirement with Beth, Elle was excited. She had high hopes for this.

It was great, the room her brother had found for it.

The shelves were lined with defense books, and the room was packed to the brim with objects she was sure was going help.

By the time they had got there, all the fifth years had already got there before them.

"Alright," she said to Neville tensely, and he nodded.

"You?" he asked and she did the same.

Sitting down with him on one of the big silk pillows they waited for the meeting to begin.

Ginny and Emily we next to arrive, then various Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's whom Ellouise was acquitted with came.

"Right," said Hermione, "let's get going!"

Once it had been elected for sure that Harry was indeed going to be leading them, a name was decided.

"Why not the anti Umbridge league?" said Angelina.

"Or the Ministry of Magic are morons group?" Suggested Fred and Elle laughed along with many others.

"Well I was thinking more of a code name we can use out side meetings with out getting busted." said Hermione.

"Why not the Defense association, as that is what we are?" said Cho. "We can say DA for short.

"I think the DA is good but why not make it stand for Dumbledore army." said Ginny as she looked at her boy friend who nodded.

Harry seemed too approved and by the whoops of agreement he heard so did the rest of the group.

The piece of parchment they had sighed on Saturday was pinned on the wall and on it was written Dumbledore army.

For that day they were going to be protruding the disarming charm. Elle paired up with Beth as they had come together and Ron went with Emily leaving Hermione to go with Neville. He did really well and Elle had to admit to being very proud of him.

"Go on baby, you can do it." She said to him with a smile on her face.

Elle's attention went to Zacharias Smith suddenly though.

"Look," she said to Beth.

Every time that he tried too disarm his partner his own his own wand flow out of his hand.

"It's the twins," said Beth and they both turned to see the identical Weasley's mucking about with him.

"Good." Said Elle and Beth laughed.

"Ok guys come on keep going!" she heard her brother say.

He was doing well too. She thought to herself, he was such a natural leader.

He smiled at her and winked as she turned to Beth and disarmed her.

"Wahoo!"

------

"Elle, what's that," said Beth asked they headed down to the common room.

"A surprise," she said looking at the package in her hand. "Can you get the Weasley's twins to stand up for me," she said to Beth. "Just talk to them for a bit.

"Ok, but why?" she asked.

"You'll see," smiled Elle. This was were the prank war begun.

Going down in to the common room Beth did her job and got the boys out there sweats were Elle planted wizarding woopy cushions.

Giving Beth the signal she winked back and the boys walked back to the seats.

As they sat down they seemed to do farts louder than howlers.

They turned to Elle,

"Sorry guys. Couldn't resist." she said as she joined every one else in there common room.

There was one thing on Fred and Georges mind: revenge.


	15. Quidditch

Chapter 15

As Elle went down to the great hall the next morning she got some good news at last.

"We can reform, The Quidditch team." Angel told her coyly. The girls had slowly begun talking again after every thing that had gone on.

They couldn't hate one another for ever.

"That's wicked!" She said to them. As much as she knew there were a lot more important things in her life than Quidditch she had to admit to loving it still, or at lest watching it.

"I can't wait to get training." Said the seventh year. "We have a game in a couple of weeks." s she said.

"Well I hope you just work them boys hard. Keep up the good record. Three years on the trot now isn't it? Not counting last with the tournament." she said to angel.

"Yep I have to say the past captains haven't made it easy for me have they? They were all so good! I don't think I can live up to them." she said.

"I do." smiled Elle.

"Thanks Elle, I'll see you in a bit ok," she said and walked off.

Well it was good to know they were getting on thought Elle. Though maybe they were always going to make it up.

No hate lasted for ever did it?

That would be too cruel.

1

"Tell me we're doing the right thing with the army."

"We are doing the right thing with the army!" said Elle as she and Hermione worked.

"No for real." She said as a reply.

"What are you getting the jitters about? Every one thing it rocks." Elle said.

"I know and Elle I have to say that is what is getting to me. Everyone likes it. Even Sirius and James." she trailed off.

"Is that the problem? Dad and Sirius approve… I got to say I fail to see what is bugging you girl." said Elle in confusion.

"Sirius. He can be so irrational, so do first think later!" she said.

"I know. That's what put him in prison for thirteen years. I don't think any one is going to be forgetting it in a hurry." she said to her.

"Elle, what I am saying is…"

"You don't want to be in Azkaban."

"Exactly."

"Well I don't think we can go back on it now but I appreciate what your saying and you know we are being careful." she said to her.

Hermione nodded.

"Your right, I know it is just so hard some times." she said. "Harry and keeping him safe. I don't want things to go wrong for us this year." she said.

"Then we just have to believe they won't." Suggested Ellouise.

Hermione had her prefect duties how ever so she had to get gone.

"£Thanks," she said to her friend who waved her off.

"Elle," a voice called her.

"aren't I popular today?" she said as she turned to Neville.

"Your always popular with me." he said to her..

That was the most romantic thing that he had said to her in a while and it made her smile.

"good." she said to him. She had missed him when they had been so off with each other. She knew she didn't always show it but her feelings for him were true.

"I'm sorry I've been such a misery guts lately." he said to her. "But I have been thinking a lot on what - well. I need to talk to you about it, can you met me in the library on Saturday?" he asked.

"We have the game but then I can come up." She said to him. Why wasn't she going straight there, apart of her said? It was just Quidditch,

"Good, I'll see you there." he said to him as if he was not going to see her before. Why wasn't he going to the game?

And they thought girls were confusing.

When Remus heard this, for Elle told him every thing, he knew what Neville was going to tell her or he had a good idea, he nodded.

He doubted if the sigh boy had opened up to any one about his mum and his dad before..

"Give him time ok, don't rush this one." he told her.

"Don't worry, I wont!" she said to him. "But do you know what is going on!" She asked. She head read his face.

"I think I do so just give the lad a bit of time."

"I will." she said to him. "So how are things going between you and Tonks!" she asked.

"Pretty good, I think we're going to get along well." he said.

He hadn't had a crush like this in years.

"Good, but tell her if she hurts you she's going to get her but kicked." Elle laughed and Remus nodded laughing knowing she was only joking.

The girl was so sweet in a weird way. She had his best interests in her heart of that he was sure.

"I have to go, see you later sweetheart." He said and was gone.

At last after what seemed a lot more time than had passed the day of the game came and no one could wait for it except Ron. While he had been accepted as the new keeper on to the team, he was so nervous bless his heart, Elle thought he was going to do great as did all the others, but still he did not share there faith in himself.

By ten the players had gone down to the pitch and at half past all the spectators followed them down.

Neville didn't seem up to going to it today so Elle promised to meet him in the library after and they split up to go their own ways for the day.

Elle had to be said to be quite excited about the game.

The Gryffindor game against Slytherin game was one of the best of the season, and only a few didn't ever go.

It was so exciting.

The Gryffindors when forced to admit it, they knew Slytherin was really the only team that was able to rival them, the other two houses were easy (for the most part), but this was the big one. The one every one wanted to see.

"Come on." urged Elle.

She wanted it to get going.

At long last the teams emerge.

"Go, go Gryffindor!" she chanted with the others, the Slytherins had a chant of there own this time that Elle had not worked out yet but doubtlessly she would figure it out later.

She was so nervous for poor Ron. "Please, let him do well." she thought to her self.

"And it is Johnson!" The commentary started and on it went for a bit as the quaffle went back and forth.

The Slytherins were still singing.

It was then she heard what.

"Weasley can not save a thing.

He can not block a single thing,

That's why all the Slytherins in,

Weasley is our king!"

"Don't you dare listen to them Ron Weasley." Said Elle out loud,.

"COME ON RON!" shouted Hermione.

But it was too late. The Slytherins had got to him. And he let in a goal.

There was a huge cheer from the Slytherin crowd.

"Weasley will make sure we win,"

And on the Slytherins sang.

Not only that but Ellouise could here a ridicules lion hat that Luna was wearing going off. Was this the worst game she had ever been to or what? Poor Ron was so flustered. Why were they doing it to him? She knew he was so much better when he was not nervous.

"You can do it!" She said and Angelina scored.

By now the score was forty ten and in that knowledge the Gryffindors knew there was still every thing to play for.,

Come on Harry, thought Elle.

She knew it was unfair to think it but this game was really all about Harry and his skills. He had to pull through for his house. As long as they could keep the score tight then he was going to get them through this as he always had ever since she had come to the school.

The singing was getting louder and louder.

Then finally it happened.

Her brother had seen the stitch. Elle watched with excitement as Harry went in to one of his famous dives.

Malfoy was soon on his tail.

But Harry was to fast and, to Elle's joy he had the snitch quickly… as well as a bluger in the back.

"Shit." said Elle. That had to hurt.

Running down on to the pitch it seemed to her some what of an argument had started.

Harry and he twins were fuming.

Running to Harry, she saw that angel and Katie were holding him back.

Malfoy was winding him up and Fred was about to run to him for moment Elle was sure but she got to him first.

"Don't you dare degrade your self to him standards Fred Weasley." She said as she put his hands on his strong chest holding him back. "Don't do it babe."

"Elle." he said looking broken by what Malfoy was saying.

"Does the half blood stink Weasley? Is that why you're fighting to get away from her?" he asked a furious Fred.

"Don't listen to him." Elle said to him though she felt humiliated.

"Why shouldn't he, its true, your mothers a dirty muggle born!" he jeered and Elle felt tears enter her eyes. Lily was some what of an idol to her daughter and to hear some one speak of her so was hard.

"Harry leave it!" she told him. He was struggling.

George who had also been fighting against some one finally struggled free, and begun hitting Malfoy.

"MR WEASLEY!" McGonagall voice was hared.

----

Fred and Elle went to the kitchens after the game. They both needed time to cool off from what had happened. They also felt a strange need to be together. It was as if all the old connection had been there so strongly today.

"Butterbeer." Fred said as the house elf asked them what they wanted.

"Do you remember valentines?" he asked her referring to the one that they had spent together in that very kitchen.

"Of course I do." she said to him as she got her drink. Why was she feeling as if she had to be some where?

"Thank you," he said in unusually thoughtful way. "If you weren't there today I don't know what I would have done." he said to her.

"Some other muppet would gave held you back." she said to him.

"I guess." he said to her. "Well thanks any way, for looking out for me."

"Fred, you're one of the best friends I have ever had, when ever I need some one I know I can turn too you. And I just want to be there for you," she said to him. "So relax." she said to him and he nodded.

Getting back to the common room together though, she saw her mistake instantly.

She had been feeling as if she had forgotten some thing. It was then it clicked.

"Neville babe I am so sorry but the game went mad." she said to him, but it was clearly to late for an apologies. He looked as if he was set to cry.

Elle couldn't have felt much worse if she had tried.

"You said you were going to be there for me today Elle!" He said to her furiously. Why was it Weasley always came before him in Elle's priorities.

"I couldn't just leave him, could I?" she said to him.

"Yes Elle that was exactly what you could have done and exactly what you should have done if you love me at all." he said to her. Fred stepped back, they clearly needed to talk.

"He's been there for me through everything, I had to give him something in return!" she said to him. The thought that she should have left him was ludicrous.

"Oh of course." said a very bitter Neville. "Take it back to that shit." he said to her.

"What the hell is that meant to mean?"

"Oh Elle when you get in to a corner you always use that! My uncle lied to me, so I can't do nothing wrong, I had a crap child hood!" he took the mick.

"That isn't fair." she said to him as the trio walked in.

Tears threatened Elle painfully.

"don't shut the door Harry!" she said to him and walked out. What ever Neville had wanted to say to her must have been important for him to be so cruel to her but at that moment she could care less about it.

What he had said was a painful reminder for her, and she didn't know if she could forgive him for it.

An: I really don't like this. Neville is so out of character and I think it is the worse chapter I have written in ages.


	16. Don't Doubt

Chapter 16

When she got up the next day Elle felt like crap. She had been crying all night over what had gone on and didn't know how she felt, not inside any way.

What the hell did she don now? Did she talk to him, or what? She didn't want to ignore him. It didn't seem right some how after the past year they had been flirting and getting on so well.

Getting up before all the others girls in her dorm had even woke up Elle headed down to the lake.

She was so mixed up.

It was there as she sat though, things started to look up.

Fang came over to her. She hadn't seen him all term. "Does that mean?" she said as she stroked the dog and looked up to see a familiar face.

"You don't know how good it is to see you Hagrid!" She said as she rushed to give him a hug. When ever she had been going through hell he had always been a kind of safe haven for her and now things were going bad again he had rocked up. Finally, she thought to herself, just when she had been in need of him the most.

As they hug she felt tears of this time joy sting her. She was so over come with her gladness as she saw him.

"Where the hell have you been?" she asked him.

"It don't matter now lass, I'm back," he said to her and looking in to her eyes he saw a great sadness.

"Wats up wiv you Elle?" he asked.

"I'll come back to yours and explain, unless you've other stuff to do." she said, and he shook his head as she put an arm half way round him and they walked over to the hut.

"am I really that self centered?" she asked once she had explained the entire story to him, even including what had been going through her head about Fred.

"Remus seemed to think he knew when I told him what Neville was going to tell Me." she said to him. "Do you now," she asked and he looked to the floor,. "Come on Hagrid," she said to him. It had been in his body language ever since she had brought up the subject. "I won't tell, but I really have to know Hagrid."

"When Neville was a baby not long after yer know 'ho fell a couple of his supporters went round to Neville's house." He started the story. Already it didn't seem very pleasant, Elle thought to her self. "his parents, well Alice and Fran, dey were brave sods they were. Fought 'long side yer parents many times Elle. In da order, n'all. So you know who's lot wanted a bit of revenge if you know what I mean, but Elle what dey did to Neville's mam and his dad well it were thousand times worse what 'appened to Lily and James. They tutored them ter dey point off insanity. They don't recongize Neville now Elle. There alive, but for all they can do now,. Dey might 'ave well jus'ta died. Woulda been kinda." he revealed to her.

I have been the iggest fool, was the only thought in Elle's head.

Maybe that was why he was so mad last night. She had what, eight, nine adult's figures she could look to? He had no one but his gran, as she digested this information it seemed to sink in to place all of it. She sighed.

Why had she not thought to ask why he lived with his Gran before? They could have avoided this!

"I got to go say sorry." she said to Hagrid. What ever he had done wrong, she should no way have walked out on him like she had when she had got made last night.

Howeve, she had to admit to being relived when she found out he had left the tower before she had got back. It would give her a bit of time get her self ready to talk to him.

Putting a heavy clock round her shoulders as it got had colder she set off across the grounds to catch her friends before they got to class.

"You ok?" asked Emily and Elle shook her head. She didn't want things to be through with Neville, but part of her said it was time to call it quits.

She had loved being with him but was there really something there worth hanging on too? They seemed to be arguing more and more, and if he couldn't have been honest with her about what went on sooner... they were so young…maybe this shouldn't be happening yet. They should have left it till when they were older. They should be having fun.

But if that was her? If Lily and James were insane? Would she want to tell him from the off?

Going up to the common room at lunch she found him. He was on the sofa they always sat together on.

"I didn't mean to storm out like I did." she said to him.

"I didn't mean to be such a git about your uncle." he said in reply.

Setting her bag on the floor, she went and sat next to him.

"Maybe your right and I should have come to see you as soon as the game ended, but I - I couldn't leave him." she said in regret. "I wish I had been able to cause I don't think I want us to be through."

"You don't think you do? What's that meant to mean? Does part of you think we should end?" he asked and broken heartily she nodded.

"Me too." he said to her. It was as if a dagger had gone through her chest.

"Back to friends then?" she said to him and he nodded. "I'm sorry, I am so sorry." she said to him as a tear feel down her cheek.

"Me too," he said as she begun to cry.

Concaving one another in each other arms for the last time it really did hit both of them what had they had just done.

They had let it go. Let one another go. And it was thee end of an era.

"Can I just ask you something?" Neville said. She nodded. "Do you love Fred?"

Ashamed, she nodded. She had never not. She was _in_ love with him too. She had just been denying herself because she hadn't wanted to let him back in. Till now…

"But you've done with him whilst we've been together?"

"I could never that to you Neville." she promised. To hurt him in that form would kill her. She knew how it felt to be betrayed by those you were closet too.

"Then go get him. I just want you happy. Maybe that's why we never worked. bits to like brother and sister at times aren't we?" he asked.

She smiled.

"Let's not let that go though?" she said to him.

"Likely story, we've said it before and I'll say it again. Friends to the end."

--------

December settled in to Hogwarts with the snow. Elle loved the castle even more when it was snow covered.

It was so enchanting.

Elle and Neville did what they said and stayed close friends.

As wrong as it seemed, as Elle was single again she felt as if a great weight had been lifted off her, and for a bit she planned to keep it that way though she and Fred were beginning to recoil over time.

What ever mistakes they had made in the past that was where they belonged, and Elle had every intention off forgiving and forgetting.

Times had changed and with it so had Fred.

One night as Elle got back to the common room, she saw her brother.

"Are you going home for Christmas?" she asked as she sat down.

"Yup, and so are Hermione and the Weasley's." he said and she grinned.

"Its going to be the best ever Elle!"

"I don't doubt it."


	17. Short Lived Happiness

Chapter 17

Two months had passed since they had started to try for a baby and well Sirius was hopeful Mel had to admit to being just disappointed.

Surely something should have happened by now,

It didn't help that Lily had the kids. She was so damn jealous.

How comes Lily and James got two at a time and yet she had Sirius got nothing.

"Mel, it is still early days." said Petunia. The two of them, Ruby and Lily were all close and regularly had girls night in to moan about men, the size of there arse, and how old they felt. The silly little thing's that helped live a at least half normal life.

"I know it is but the more I think about it the more I wasn't the baby right now."

"God," said lily. "You are going to be nightmare to life with for the nine months when you are actually pregnant."

"I know I am but just want to make sure Sirius is happy!" she complained.

"And he is you just have to look at him to see that." said Lily.

"I hope so." she said. "I just want this kid to have a better start than Beth. I was depressed for the first year. It wasn't easy dealing with that and then her dad's death."

"Do you miss him?" asked ruby. Mel nodded.

"Every day. He was a good man." she said. "I don't love him in the way I do Sirius though. Sirius is my Hogwarts sweet heart."

"There is no one like the first is there?" asked Ruby.

"Some time there is." Said Lily knowing what Ruby was thinking.

"Not for me." ruby retorted. "I can't forgive my self for losing him."

"You will, he's happy you have to find happiness too!"

-----------

Remus had to admit the more time he had with Sirius's younger cousin the more he wanted her.

They had no secrets from the start and she knew just what he was and yet she stilled want to go through with it desperately.

He didn't know though.

He was no where near good enough for her, he was too dangerous.

And yet there was a niggling voice in his head telling him that he had been living with a family for two years now and yet nothing had gone wrong. He knew it would be different with her but he wanted her so much.

She was a truly fascinating creature.

He didn't wait to lose her or hurt her. He hadn't been this much in love with some one since he had first started seeing Ruby.

Watching her through the Order meeting, her lustful eyes on him were a complete and utter torture.

"So who is going on guard on the kids last night at school?" asked Lily.

"I am." said Arthur but then James stepped in.

"You covered for me a few weeks back Arthur let me take this one." he volunteered and Arthur nodded. He wasn't going to argue with that.

"Meetings done." said Dumbledore and they all begun to talk and drink. As the last meeting of the term they were all going to have a bit of a party before heading off. The orders Christmas bash so to speak.

"Oi, you we've got a test in the morning don't forget." Said Lily to her nephew.

"Oh come on aunt Lily cant we do it when we get back," he protested.

"No," she said to him firmly. !"It is all so fresh in your mind right now," she replied. "Let's just get it done." she shook her head,

She couldn't make it all fun and games all of the time.

-----------

It was the night of the last meting of the DA before the holidays and Hermione and Elle were in the room of requirement doing there last bit of training for the term.

"I'll tell you what Elle, you have come on so much this term." smiled Hermione an d Ellouise gave her a grin. "I think we might get it next term." she said to her.

"No way be realistic, " said Ellouise. "It took my dad three years!" she protested.

"Elle progress and technology is always moving every thing forward. Don't think we haven't got easier methods of getting there these days than Sirius and James did. Other spells, incantatiosn are being invited to help witch's and wizards all the time." she said to her. "Come on, one more, then we'll call it the night."

"Animago!" chanted Elle and a brilliantly strong fox figure came out of her wand.

The fox had changed so much that term, it now shone just as strongly as Hermione owl did.

Running around the room, Elle controlled the animal to do as she told it and the fox was totally mesmerized by its 'owner' or 'mistress'. Elle wasn't sure what to call her self in relation to it.

They were part of each other. Every time she chanted it they bonded stronger and stronger.

Just then some thing that never happened before, did happen.

A brightly rainbow of colors came from the fox and as Elle touched it, the grey and the colours melted away to a silvery white substance, and it was looking at Elle was admiration.

"Elle you've done It." said Hermione joyfully. "You've one stage left to get there." Hermione said.

"Can I do it tonight?" she said to her. Elle didn't want to stop now.

"Yes," said Hermione, and the belief and the energy in the room must have affected the owl Animagus because the brilliant rainbow that had come before from the fox reentered the room from it.

"What do we have to do now? asked Ellouise.

You could cut the tension in the room with a knife.

"Just touch it, your going to get a tingling sensation." said Hermione.

"You first.." Elle muttered.

Elle watched with fascination as Hermione touched the animal. Instead of leaning in to her touch as it normally did, the owl rather sank in to the hand, literally. It was like a spell coming out of a wand, only the other way round.

Hermione's hand seeped up the owl like a cloth would water, and as the last of it disappeared, Hermione shiver.

"Animago." Hermione muttered and this time instead of an owl appearing, Hermione turned in to it.

Elle knew she had lost her friends attention. Hermione was so caught up in every thing about being anowl. She stretched put her wings, and for the first time she loved flying.

Mean whilst Elle followed suit and touched the fox.

Her hand, just like Hermione's, drank up the fox.

Elle could feel the Animagus sweep up and down her.

As the tingly sensation took place Ellouise shivered as her friend had before chanted at the end "Animago."

Suddenly she was a lot smaller, and she had four legs instead of two. It was the strangest thing.

Trying to stand on two was acutely uncomfortable, but she could run faster than ever.

As Hermione transformed back at ease, she spoke to Elle.

"I don't feel like going to bed." Hermione said it the fox. "Not now, why don't we go and do and Hagrid!" she suggested. "In to the forest?" she asked.

The fox headed to the door.

----

"Where were you yesterday night?" asked Ron. "Hermione I needed help with home." he complained.

"I had a bit of my own work too finish." she said as she saw an exhausted Elle come in to the hall. They had got to bed at four in the end and now they had to do an entire day of school.

Last night had been well worth it though. The girls were never going to forget it as long as they lived.

"So today's the you know what meeting!" said Elle as she got to the table.

"Yup." smiled her brother. He was a good teacher and if she did not know him any better she would say he was enjoying playing the role of the defense teacher to so many.

"Good, good." she said to him and hoped with all her heat it was going too be a good meeting and she was going to be able to accomplish that day's task. She loved the meetings.

Looking down the Gryffindor table she saw Fred with George and Lee. He smiled back at her and she got the biggest butterflies.

She had a feeling the resistance she had been putting up to him was not going to last much longer.

The last meeting of the term turned out to be very much a revision lesson, and for that Elle was grateful. She had done ok in Harry's classes but she wasn't as good as a lot of people. She and Beth as well as Emily were the youngest in the class so it was only predictable that they were going to struggle as well as the fact Elle had been devoting every last second she had had on her animagus theory instead of defense work.

She was so pleased to have got it done. She hoped to give it to James as a surprise and just go out on the full moon when she was home with out warning him or her uncle.

Getting in to bed, she fell off in to peaceful dreams, but ass ever her happiness was to be short lived.

----

At three in the morning Elle's sleep was disturbed.

"Ms Potter, get dressed, we have to going to the head quarters!" she head her head of house say to her.

Opening her eyes to see McGonagall dressed in her tartan dressing gown was a shock.

"What's happened?" she asked.

"Dumbledore will tell you once we get to his office." she said to her firmly and Elle did as her head of house had ordered.

Getting to the office off the infamous headmaster, she saw her brother, who had tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Harry what is it?" she asked going over to him and started wiping away his tears with her hands.

"Miss Potter, your father has been injured on Order of the Phoenix work." Dumbledore told her and she looked at him shocked. By the tone of his voice she knew it was series.

"Oh god." she said as a reply.

"You and your brother are going to port key home, there we can tell you every thing but we have to get you both out of school before Umbridge wakes up." he said to them and grabbing hold of a black kettle, the two Potter siblings went home.


	18. Visiting James

Chapter 18

"Where's mum?" was the first thing Harry wanted to know as his god mother came in to sight.

"She is with your dad at the hospital at the moment." said Mel embracing him tightly, as Remus rushed in and hugged Ellouise.

"You ok sweet heart?" he asked and she shook her head.

"What's wrong with dad, no ones told me any thing," she said to him and nodding to Harry and Mel, he took her out of the room to explain on there own though deep down Elle thought she would have rather stayed with her big brother.

Getting to the family room he sat her down and hugged her tightly.

"Darling your dad was on order business tonight." he said tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear hoping the physical contact would help the affectionate child to digest the terrible news of what had happened to James.

"How was he hurt?" she asked him in a whisper, unable to get much volume in to her broken voice.

"I don't know sweet heart." he said taking her hands.

"This doesn't look good does it?" she said to him.

"Don't say that, we are not going to lose him." he said to her and she felt a tear slide down her cheek.

Embracing one another tightly, they prayed to god James would be home. He was the ultimate marauder; what on earth would the order do with out him? There was going to be no more Den with out him. Not really.

"Can we go to the hospital?" she asked. She had to be with her parents. Her mum was going to be so scared.

"Not yet baby just let your mum figure out what is happening for herself. She said to me and Sirius we can take you and your brother in first thing in the morning if you both want to go." he said to her and she nodded in to him as he held her.

"Is there any point arguing this one?" she asked and he shook his head.

"I just got there Remus, I was going to make him so proud." she said yo him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Lock the door." she said to him and he did so in his confusion over what she was going to do.

Looking at her with increasing curiosity, he watched as there was a pop, and in the space of Ellouise, well the one he knew, came a little fox cub.

He was at a lose for words.

She was an Animagus.

Elle found the pain of what had happened to her father was numbed by the wolfs senses in stead of her human ones so instead of changing back she crawled up in to a ball by the fire but didn't go to sleep. How could she?

-----

Lily had tears strolling down her cheek as she sat at here husbands bed side.

She was exhausted. She had been up all night. She didn't believe what had happened to James. He looked so ill, so small in his bed.

The huge presence that he was normally was just gone, and she missed him. He had only been like this a few hours but she wanted her James so much.

Even if he was going to talk the mick out of her tears, she just wished he would talk to her.

Taking his hand in her own she wondered what on earth she was going to do if he died.

The twins would never remember him, no memories of there old dada. And the elder two were going to be inconsolably. They have had eighteen months just over together. Alive again.

She knew they had made the most of it so that if some thing like this did happen then there were going to be ready, nothing left unsaid, but there always was going to be, even if you tried your hardest to not let there be.

"I love you Jamie." she said to him. "Don't go, I can't do it by my self, raise the kids, keep Harry safe." she said. "I need you, now more than ever. Please wake up!" she said and turned to see the door open.

She hadn't expected the kids to be so early, she thought she would have had longer with her husband by her self but may be not.

Wiping her own tears away she took Harry and Elle in her arms and they hugged her tighter than ever before. As much as she hadn't wanted them here to begin with she was glad they were. That way she could focus on trem and being a mother rather than her own grief..

"You guys ok?" she asked. She felt them nod in to her shoulder. "I'll tell you what, I should have given your father that warning about life and death situations hey?" she said to them and pulled the on to her knees as she sat down, not caring that she hadn't yet greeted Sirius and Remus, she just wanted her kids.

"Where are your younger brother and sister?" she asked.

"Ruby has them at home." Sirius said to her so she wouldn't worry. That was going to be one less thing off her mind.

Nodding Lily sat back at watched her son take his fathers hand.

Harry was so scared! Had he really been the cause of all this. He had waited to stop, he had never wanted to hurt his dad, but in a strange way he had wanted to and if they lost him then he was never ever going to forgive him self.

"Why don't I go get us a few coffees?" Sirius said and Lily nodded.

Suddenly though as they all crowded round James, Harry felt his hand being squeezed. His dad was awake.

"Dad," he said and lily breathed for the first time that night as her husbands eyes came in to sight.

"Baby," she said as she got up and gave him a smile.

"You ok sweet heart?" he said with his trade mark grin.

"I think I should be the one asking that, James… I can't tell you how worried we've been," she said as a tear slide down her face

"We've…kids." he said as he saw his eldest's and held an arm out to each weakly as they both burrowed in to his sides as he called them.

"Dad, I thought - I didn't wanna loss - dad." said Elle and Harry echoed her.

"I am going to be fine, you two relax. Dad's going to be home for Christmas you don't worry your selves." He promised, smiling to reassure them. He didn't want them to be scared. It was his job to stop that happening in fact.

They stayed with him till late morning, talking over what had happened and James soothed his sons guilt. Harry had not done anything wrong.

"Believe me son I know what attack me and not even you are that ugly." he said to Harry, making a joke out of what had happened already.

"Dad they say I look like you." Harry reminded him.

"Exactly so your not ugly." he said he took it back, receiving a playful glare from his wife.

"I'm ill!" he said to her sulking.

"Then have the deciety to look it." she said to him. "Lord James you're not Even pale any more!" though he was still a litter, but it made them feel better, the family joking together again.

"You lot get off and see to those twins of mine," he said abruptly, "and in a few days I'll be back with you." he said to them and the kids nodded.

"Love you dad." sued Elle as she kissed his cheek.

"Me to sweetie. Be good son," he said to Harry as he kissed his son.

"I always am," he said as there mum lead them out.

"It locked like the warning I put you to under should have gone for your father too doesn't it my sweet hearts?" she said to them.

"yup." said Elle, as they headed home.

--------

With the promise that James was on the mend already Christmas fever took over at the Den.

Presents were stacked high under the tree, soft music played and the smell of holiday foods went round from the kitchens.

Smiling at Elle as she got in to his sight, Fred hurried over to her.

"You looked better than you did." he said to her. "I was up late last night. Saw you, leave the common room." he said to her.

"I am sorry I didn't see you. I was just so worried for my dad but he is going to be ok , and the rest of the family are free to enjoy Christmas. He is going to be joining us." she said to him and she reached out for his hand.

"Can we talk?" time to bite the bullet.

She nodded, and putting on her coats, together they headed out side.

"There some thing I need to ask you Ellouise." he said to her, and she looked up at him. In here hand she could feel his. It was shaking. Whether from the cold or nerves, she didn't know. "You know how I feel for you. I never hide my love. What happened that day with Angelina, it meant nothing to me, and it still doesn't. Ellouise I - I didn't mean to hurt you." he said and she nodded.

"I know," she smiled. "And I believe you." She added tenderly.

"I love you." he said to her, and she watched as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Nodding, she leant up and she kissed it away.

"Let's not waste anymore time." she said as pulled him in close to her. If one thing was clear to them both that night was that they needed one another, more than they had ever known.

In the time they lived, you couldn't put things off till tomorrow. It had to be today.


	19. Becoming Foxy

Chapter 19

James had been home two days, and as seven o'clock came up he looked to his brothers.

"It is time." he said to Remus who nodded.

"Are you sure you want to come out?" Remus said to the man who had been so recently hurt. "Sirius and me can cope by our selves if you need us too." he said to him. "We have done before." He said though he knew if his god daughter heard him trying to persuade James to stay in she would kill him. Elle wanted to tell, or more like, show James tonight what she had accomplished.

"No I am going to be fine, the night air will do me good." he said to them and knowing that it was pointless to debate the situation with the head strong potter, Remus shrugged and let him have his own way.

"Let's get going then moony." said Sirius.

Going over to there wives, Lily and Mel gave them a kiss.

"Do you want me to come out tonight?" said Lily to him.

"No, its ok, you stay with the twins." he said to her.

"Ok, but sweet heart if it gets too much, you come straight back in." she said to him and je nodded.

"Please, don't worry about me love." James said to her.

"Ok," she said and gave him another kiss before she looked to the others, who were going to be remaining inside.

Going out only one of them knew full well they were going to be joined by another woman that night, but it would not be Lily.

---

Hermione and Ginny talked in hushed voices with Elle about what they had seen in the close ward. Elle had remained behind when they had picked up her dad, to help get the place ready for his return.

"I think he was relived when he saw you were not there Ellouise. He was embarrassed enough as it was." Ginny told her.

Elle sighed. It was so unfair. Neville was a good, deceit person, so why had he been dealt such a horrid hand it life?

"Its so unfair."

"Life is darling." said Lily as she came in. "come on girls, you'll have plenty of late nights next week with the holidays, off to your own rooms now to settle in for the night please."

"Yes Lily," said Ginny and nodding to Elle, she and Hermione followed the mistress of the house's orders to go to there own rooms.

Elle was thrilled. At last! The sooner her mother tucked her in for the night, the sooner she was going to get in go the forest with her father.

"Night sweetheart." said Lily as she kissed her daughter, and Elle pulled her self under the sheets.

"Night mum." she said to her smiling, as if she wasn't up to any thing. But she knew she had her suspicions. She had been with James for too long.

Twenty minutes later, Elle was sneaking out with much anticipation.

"Animago." she muttered and in a fox begun to run down to the forest.

-------

Prongs had been going to sleep when there camp had been rumbled by another creature. It was weird, a lot of creatures intruded on them but this time it felt different, and clearly Remus in his Moony form felt that too.

Going over to the red fox that had come in to there camp so far as he knew uninvited, Prongs watched as Moony got up and for a moment stood before her, James didn't believe what he was trying to do. It was as if Remus wanted to protect it for a moment. Who was this? Did Remus know the fox?

James become off his guard and the stag went over to the fox much more calmer than he had been when he had first seen it but he was still able to feel Moony's ever constant eyes on the back of him, and on the fox.

Bringing his head down to the small fox he sniffed it intently and it did not take long for him to realize he knew the scent. Was this really his daughter and if so when had she learnt to become an anmagi.

Settling down in a new place, James looked in to her eyes. Yes it was Ellouise, and he had no way to contain his excitement, and so the stag got up and begun to prance around in his joy. He didn't believe she had down this so early on in her life. But then again she had the perfect mix of being both a Potter and a Evans, just like her siblings. He believed all of his children were very smart even though two of them were yet to say there first words.

Sirius who had seen James start running about in joy went back to the came from where he had een relaxing to see there was tonight a new addition to there small pack.

As her father showed his joy in what she had done Elle just stood back and went over to Remus. This had been exactly the reaction she had been hoping for.

Laying next to her werewolf godfather she lay her head on the ground and let him nuzzle her. This was the best night she had in her entire life.

------

When he had woken James had noticed the fox was gone. Maybe she had gone back already because Lily didn't yet know, and he hoped that was the case, because if not, it had never happened and he was going mad.

As the three tired men went in to the dining room for breakfast they all noticed she was up in her pajamas with the rest of the kids but she looked as tired as they felt and as she winked at her father he became surer she had been there last night with him, and his best friends.

She had taken being a women marauder to a while news level just as her mother had before her,.

"I am so tired I barely got a wink last night." she said as she picked her cup of tea up.

"Ok love, well your holiday." said Lily. If the girl wanted to waste it in her room, left her.

"I better go change." said James to him and he run up after his daughter five minutes after she had left the room.

As James came in to her room, Elle was sitting on her sofa nervously. She needed his approval of what she had done in words and she was sure she was going to get it but there was always going to be a seed of doubt.

Sitting down by her side she looked at him, and he looked at her before he wrapped his arms round her.

"I am so darn proud of you." he said and she blushed. "But do you know how dangerous what you did was?" he asked in a rather parental way, a way a normal dad would. But he was no normal father. He was more like her friend and as he looked at her the way Vernon used to when she had done something which he thought may have not been the best idea (much like he had looked at her when he had picked her up for the funeral) he was nor quite sure to react.

She nodded. "Yes I just…I wanted to make you proud dad." she said to him honestly. He had been so happy the night before and now that just seemed to have gone from the situation. "I thought if I did this I'd feel more like well…we're dad and daughter." she said to him.

"Baby." he said as he held her tighter and kissed her fore head. "You are my daughter." he said to her forcefully. He had always felt that since he had seen her that first time after she had left Privet Drive in the summer.

"I know I am, " she said as she realized she was about ready to start crying. "But dad after last Christmas wh9n I - I ran away," she said to him as she tried to swallow the growing lump in her throat. "I just wanted to prove to you I do love you, and I don't want another dad." she said to him as she breathed in his strong scent that had made her feel so safe when she had first met him that day when they had been at shrieking shack.

"You didn't have to do this to show that to me." he said to her as he continued to embrace her in his love. "You do that every time you give me a hug, or you kiss me, or just call me dad," he said feeling emotional that his daughter had felt she had had to go to such length to prove her love to him.

"but -" she said as she sighed. She didn't have another but to counter that.

"I am proud of you and I know you love, and this is awesome." he said to her reassuringly.

"So you're not mad?" she asked.

"No I don't think so, but you're mum will be." he said to her. When Lily weighed up all the dangers she was going tot be furious.

"Let me tell her." begged Elle and her father nodded.

"Ok, but you have to do it before you leave for school." he said to her and she nodded.

"I will." she promised him.

"Good girl." he said as he gave her a kiss on her head and left her to get ready for the day.

She knew she had to tell her mother soon. Things were going to be sussed out by her mother ways as Sirius took to calling her foxy after that day and it seemed to be her nick name now, as his was Padfoot and her fathers, Prongs.

She was a fulled marauder now and she felt it.

With the little girl in such joy, Elle seemed to be stronger than she had been in months. She hadn't been this happy since she had been back at the drive. Not even in the first term.

Every thing was just going so well, not that she said it.

There was a magic here and she didn't want to break the spell.


	20. Temper's Rise

Chapter 20

Christmas day was an eventful of joy for the marauders and there various guests. A lot of the order decided when they had been invited to the Den to except there invite and now the many people were going to be celebrating together

As she went down stairs Elle was sure she had never seem so many gifts in one place before in all her life.

Every thing was so perfect for there family Christmas and it seemed that the marauders, just this once, had been granted a day of pure perfection. Wine flowed and spirits rose and all enjoyed themselves.

But as ever it ended too quickly.

"Alright foxy?" asked Sirius at his niece as he came in to the dining room.

"Why do you keep calling her that?" said Harry as he picked up on it.

Sirius smirked. "No reason."

She shook her head. "I am going to get dressed." she said but as she got half way up the stair case she saw someone coming down she waned to be with more than she did get changed.

"Hello," said Fred to her as he pressed a kiss too her fore head.

"Hello you." she said in response and hugged him.

Then news of there rekindled love had spread through the Den as if it had been wild fire and no one was much surprised or openly negative, it was clear more though a few were doubtful.

It hadn't worked for them before so why was it going to this time.

But Elle had changed and so had he and they were both a lot more grown up then they had been when together before.

She was sure this time was going to be different.

"Come on!" she said and they went in to her room together, both still in their night clothes.

Sitting on her sofa together they held hands.

"Never thought I'd see the day we were back together." he said to her sniffing her hair as he had all those months before.

She still smelt so sweet to him, she had the same shampoo still clearly .

"No, me neither," she admitted to him.

"Well I am going to make sure we never split again." he promised her.

"I hope we don't.," she said to him. They had been there for each other unconditional ever since they had met save a couple of times.

"We wont." he sighed and he shut his eyes. This was what he and she had both wanted.

--------

The moments of peace were rare as the winter holidays drew in for its ending, and James found a new reason to hate Snape.

"No lily he is not teaching my son alone!" said the master of the den.,

"Oh so pray tell darling, how is he going to learn Occulumency?" said Lily to him. She believed Severus would do the job credible. They had had a romantic past yes, but that was through now, yet she still trusted him. She trusted him with her son and that was saying a lot.

"Lily, no."

"Yes James. He is doing this and he is learning with Snape," she said to him.

"Why cant he go with Dumbledore?"

"Sweet heart, you know why," she said to him as she kissed him. "darling trust me, I know what I am doing." she said to him. "I wouldn't let him if I thought he was going to put Harry in danger."

"But I don't want to trust that bloody git with my son. With our son lily." he said to her.

"I know you don't, but we always knew we weren't going to be able to teach the kids every thing about life on our own. And besides, I do trust him. "

"I know, but that was what Sirius and Remus were going to be there for," he said to her as they embraced.

Just then there was a knock on the door and as it opened in to there room, came there daughter.

"Ellouise," said her mother smiling.

"Mum, I need to talk to you." she said to Lily as soon as she got in. She had to tell her about the training and she didn't want to turn back.

"Very well dear," said Lily as she turned to her husband. "He is going to do this." she said to him

"I know," said James. If his wife was set on this then there was no way he was going to dissuade her.

Ruffling Elle's hair on the way out James knew just what she had come to do. His will.

"Come on then." she heard her mother said to her as Lily took her hand and made her sit on the sofa by her side.

"Mum…" she said to her trying to calm her self. She didn't know how she was going do this.

As she watched her daughter stay so silent, Lily worried.

"What it is my darling," she asked her.

"I can only do this one way." released Elle.

Getting up from where she had been sitting, she looked at her mother who had been through too much with her father not to know when a Potter had done some thing wrong.

She watched as suddenly her daughter was gone and a small red fox stood in her place and then, her daughter was back.

Needless to say lily was not best pleased.

Never before had Ellouise's mother been so truly angry with her. Frustrated when she had been so distant, yes but never mad.

"Do you realize the dangers you put yourself in?" she asked furiously.

"I wasn't thinking about that." she said. She had done this to make her father proud and he was. She had done nothing wrong.

"Clearly." said lily as she ran her hand through her hair.

Yes she had been a lot more relaxed this time around than she had been before, but she didn't think it would give her kids the impression they could put themselves in such risky situation. Her daughter was clever. Why had she done this?

"I just wanted to make dad proud of me," she said to her.

"So James knows about this –"

"He wanted to tell you but I begged him to let me -"

"Cause you knew you'd done something wrong -"

"Because just like him I knew you were going to over react-" said Elle exhausted. She didn't like the tension between them at all. It was far too much like the feeling she had got when she and Petunia had been rowing when she was younger.

"Go to your room Elle," said lily. She didn't need this right now. So much could have happened, gone wrong. Sighing she put her head in her hands ass she sat back down. Her son was involuntary a target of one of the most dangerous wizards who had ever lived and her daughter was doing stuff like - Urrgh. Why didn't they just stay babies for ever?

-----------

Elle knew she hda been going to get a reaction but that had been worst than what she had been expecting.

Sitting down on her bed she sighed. This was bad.

As she heard a knock on the door though she turned to see if it was Lily. Nope.

"Hey kiddo." said Ruby to her.

Smiling at her god mother Elle invited her too sit next to her. "That wasn't your mum I heard you rowing with was it?"

"It sure was." said Elle as she looked at the floor.

"What about?"

"Nothing that can be changed now." she said to her as she looked deep in to her chocolate eyes.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Nope."

"Ok, well there is some thing I want to talk to you about young lady," said ruby to her and Elle looked up. "A certain mr Weasley."

"Ruby -"

"No come on kid humour an aging women with no social life of her own." she said as she put her arms round her. "So you really like him again?"

"More than any one I ever liked before." she said to ruby.

"But as I understand it you too have a bit of a past." she said with a raised eye brow.

"Yup." confirmed Elle. Just bit….

"And you still want him back after -"

"Who's your partner in crime in learning all of this?"

"Not the point darling. The point is I don't want to see my god baby hurt." she said to her.

"And you wont." promised Ellouise. "I know that it all went wrong last time, but it is going to be ok this time. It will because it has to be." she said to him as she put her head on her shoulder. "I love him, I always have. And I probably always will."

------------------

"Elle? Are you in here?"

"Yeah." a cold reply came.

"Baby, I am sorry I lost it, but you can see where I was coming from, your not stupid." said Lily as she went in to her daughters room to try and make some peace.

Tomorrow the kids were going back. She didn't want to leave things how they were.

"I guess."

"I didn't mean to shout at you it was just a big shock." she said to her as she sat on Elle's bed and tucked Elle in for the night.. "And I am proud of you. I just think you should have done it with supervision."

"It was for dad. I hated how things were when I got back after Christmas and I wanted to do something for him," she sighed.

"But this, it was a bit extreme." Lily explained to her daughter.

"It seemed the only thing that came to mind and before I knew it well my heart was set on It." she said to her mum. "Dad was so proud of me when he found out." he sighed.

"I bet he was. And as I said I am too. Just please be a bit more sensible when trying to impress dad." said lily as she kissed her daughter.

"K mum, love you." said a now sleepy Elle.

"Night baby."


	21. Doubt's

Chapter 21

That next day the kids got the knight bus back to Hogwarts.

The good byes had got a bit emotional but nothing like what they had been the term before where Elle had begged to stay.

She didn't know whether it was because she had Fred back but it might be. The first night back was like normal and the Gryffindors crowded in to the common room to tell one another what a great break they had all had

"Remember the snow ball fight?" said Beth as they all sat down

"How can we forget?" said Harry to her. They had all got so wet, curtsey of their father.

"It was brilliant." said Elle as she and Fred cuddled up inn the common room for the first time on over two years as a couple. Out of every thing she had got that year he had been the best present ever.

_How could classes be starting yet?_ she thought to herself. It was so soon. She felt as if they had only got out for holiday a couple of days, not weeks.

"You ok?" Fred whispered to her.

"Of course I am." _I'm with you, aren't I? _

When she got down stairs the next as late as ever she found he was waiting to go down to breakfast with her.

It really was as if nothing had changed she just hoped he had. And this was not a mistake,

Getting to the Gryffindor table side by side, they sat down and begun there first meal of the day as the owls swept down and mutter crept through the hall, of fear and worry.

"How did they do it?"

"Why."

"Do you think this means he is really back?"

The mass break up from Azkaban did not bode well for the order,

"So he is trying to gather his strength. It was always going to happen I guess," said Hermione to the group seriously.

"So the war is going to begin soon?" said Elle nervously as under the table she grabbed Fred's hand, they had been preparing for this for so long at the den and yet now it was here she was no way ready for it at all. She didn't want to be in a war.

"It is a possibility. Depends what is in his head." she replied.

-

Elle and Fred found themselves at the lake.

"Fred, do you think I am a whip?" she asked.

"No, Elle you are one of the bravest people I know. Why on earth would I think you are a whip?"

"Because I give you good reason to think so. Look just this morning. The thought of going to war petrifies me." she said to him.

"And the rest of the wizarding world." he protested.

"But I some times worry I act as if am the only one going through this," she said to him. She didn't feel much of a Gryffindor at that moment.

"You don't I promise you." he said to her. "Now shut up speaking such things." he said as he ran a hand through her hair,.

"Make me." she said and his lips came closer till they were touching her. Relishing in the attention he was giving her ever changing body she tip toed up so it was easier to reach him. He was so bad…

--

As Elle walked through the corridors of the school later that day she felt a bit better. Fred support had helped her some what but she felt as if…she didn't know. She let the side down. She was no way as brave as her mother, father or brother. But did she really know that? She had never been tested against a great magical trail as they had when they had met Voldemort. She was sure she was going to be tested but she just didn't know when. How could she not given her place in the some what inner circle of Harry's family.

She was not going to escape unscathed; she knew that much from this war. How could she when she was who she was.

Bumping in to some thing she was shaken out of her thoughts.

"Hagrid," she said as she looked up at him happily. Then her smile faded. He had fresh bruises and cuts. "What's happened?!" she asked to him.

"Nothing, nothing."

"Don't lie to me Hagrid. Not to me." she begged.

"It is none of your concern it ain't." he said to her gruffly as he went on his way. Great. Oh great. Now she had peed off Hagrid.. It got even better when she was told by her brother what she guessed had been getting the half giant down. He was on probation. So much for a good new year….but that didn't explain the bruises.

But, then not only that but soon there was yet another educational decree to follow. This was pointless. Umbridge seem have gotten control of the school. And it seemed more hopeless trying to get it back all the time.

"Go to bed." Fred urged her late that night.

"I could not sleep, I would only lay there thinking." she said to him.

"Elle, you can't let your worries get you down." he said to her. "We all need you to be strong.

"Don't worry for me. I am not going to self destruct again if that is what is on your mind," she said as they at together.

"Even so, you need sleep." he said. "Rest darling.,"

"I don't want too. I want to do something." she said to him.

"Save your energy. We have a DA meeting tomorrow, we are going to need all your strength for that."

The DA was working harder than they had ever before and the escape from Azkaban had just spurred them on. They had to do something. Sitting around was no longer an option. Even Smith was working harder than ever.

Not only that but the third years had more working then they had ever before. Especially theory. The once beloved defense lessons were now weekly torture sessions.

Elle was a lot more like her mother when she had been young than she would ever know. Just for the time being keeping her head down and studying harder . It was the only way she was ever going to survive the term!

-

Revising in the common room for defense as she no longer had the distraction of becoming an animagus she watched as her brother got back to the common room after a lesson with Snape. He didn't look happy. Then again who would be after a private lesson with the greasy git?  
"Did every thing go ok?" she asked as he sat down by her.

"Yeah right. I'd have more luck getting blood from a stone." he told her.

"You'll get better. These things I guess these things just take time."

"Still don't think I am ever going to get it. He keeps telling me to empty my head before bed but with the previous nights dream in my head how can I?" he asked.

She shrugged. She knew he was being plagued by dreams of long corridors.

"The lessons with Snape are just making them worse." he said to her.

"Maybe they're just going to get worse before they get better," she said to him, taking his hand. "Your hard working, dedicated. You'll get there bruv, you always do." she said to him.

"I don't know about that Elle." he said to her. "I just don't know."

-

"No James I don't want you going out again not after what happened at Christmas,"

"Lily this is important to me! Order work is part of protecting our son and that has always been my main priority ever since he had been born." he said back to her.

"James I know, but you have to think about this seriously. You have five people dependent on you." she said to him,.

"And Arthur has eight." He protested. He had to do this, it was for the family. Why didn't she see that? She had before Christmas, which had just been a scare. Nothing more.

"Yet they can all take care of themselves off if it comes to it. Me and Harry would be ok but the other three need you so much James. Please think of what your doing." she said to him.

"I am and what I am going is the right thing." he said to her.

REVIEW!


	22. Good News

Chapter 22

Lily sat in the kitchen of the head quarters'. Her home… it wasn't what she had thought it was going to be that was for sure. She missed the days when it had just been her James, Sirius, Remus and the kids. They got no time to themselves since they had asked the world and its brother to move it with them.

She didn't know what she was ever going to do with her husband. He was so determined to play the hero for there family he was not realizing how much danger he was putting himself in, and it scared her. He was so fool hardy.

In any minute an order meeting was going to start in the room whuc she sat, so when she heard a knock on the door she was not surprised.

"Come in!" she yelled to who ever who had knocked.

As the door opened she turned to see the Slytherin Potions Master. Even after all these years they always felt a little awkward when they were alone.

"Lily." he said to her in greeting, kindly enough, she supposed.

"Severus, how are you?" she replied.

"I am very well." She lied to him. Of course he saw straight through it. "I'm a little stressed."

"That I think might just be understandable." He commented.

"Yes well. It comes with the territory," she said to him. "I should be well used to it by now. After all I am a Potter. Talking of Potters, I trust you saw my children in classes this week."

"And how are they doing?"

"abysmal." he replied.

"So glad to hear they are improving." she said to him sarcastically. "They are trying." she said to him.

"Perhaps they are, but trying to do what?" he replied

"You may have a point there," she said to him.

"Lily there not bad children deep down. I just fear they have taken to many of your husband traits and not enough off yours." he said to her.

"You think that hasn't crossed my mind when it comes to Harry and Elle. There so stubborn. And they have to be right in every thing they do at times when they get a bone in there heads." she said to him, shaking her head. "But there heqarts are in the right place."

0

"Well it is going to be a really romantic day for Me." said Emily to the girls. "Ron ining on valentines" she said to them.

"What the heck is my brother like?" asked Ginny in reply.

"I don't know." said Emily,.

"I hope my brother is treating you better." said Elle to Ginny.

"Oh he is. We are going to go in to Hogsmeade for the day." she said to her.

"That's nice." said Beth sarcastically.

"You know," said Ginny, "it wouldn't kill you to get in to the spirit of things a bit more at times. "

"Yes it would." she said. "And this is when I got to bed so to safe myself from eternal boredom."

"Alright mate good night," said Elle to her.

"So what are you and Fred doing for the big day?!" asked Ginny.

"I don't know yet. He says it is a surprise." she blushed. She loved it when has tra he surprised her.,

"Very romantic." commented Hermione dryly teasing her friend. "any way, Ginny I think I may to borrow Harry for a bit on Saturday." she said to her.

"Why?" said the red head.

"To get his point of view across. It won't take long." she said to her.

"Don't you just love it where she 5alks in riddles?"

-

On Saturday Lily awoke to find James already yup.

"Happy Valentines my love." he said as he sat on there sofa.

Going over to join him she smiled. "And to you sweet heart." she said as she kissed him.

"What do you want to do today," he asked.

"Just spend time with you and the twins.," she smiled as she hugged him tightly and gently kissed him. It had seemed quit sum time since they had any proper time together. Quality time. As man and wife…

"I think I might like that too." he said to her as he met her affections with his own.

"Good." she smiled as she went to get dressed. She was going to enjoy today.

As ever the day begun at the Den with a family breakfast and the four Potters, two Blacks, Ruby, Remus and Tonks.

Despite what everyone thought though she had not slept with Remus properly. They had only spelt side by side. The previous night had got emotional and they had wanted to be close. It had been nice.

"Right I have to get off to Auror head quarters!" she said as she finished her toast.

"I'll come with you sec." said Sirius who as much as he had begged had not managed to get the day off.

"What ever shall I do with out you today prince of my days," teased Mel.

"My love I have no idea, but I am sure you will think of some thing."

"I can." she said as she turned to Ruby. "Want to go shopping?" she asked.

"Well I'm not doing any thing else today am I?" she said to her.

Remus looked guilty and blushed. He hated the thought that his first love was alone, but he loved Tonks now. She was amazing.

Getting up, the scholar retired with out a word to his rooms. He wished there was some thing he could do for her but there wasn't. There love died when he thought she had. When she had let him think she had.

-

"Ready to go on our very romantic trip out?" asked Fred.

"Define romantic in that context." asked Elle of her boy friend.

"A walk in the mountains if Hogwarts," he smiled at her.

"Sounds good to me." she sighed. That did sound romantic. Pressing a quick kiss to his lips she got up and she took his hand.

"We're going to get going guys." said Fred as they left the breakfast table.

Picking up the bag he had packed for them, Fred smiled and kissed her again and together they walked off. It was just what they had needed.

"Ever since this war has begun I never seemed to get you on your own any more." he sighed as he wrapped an arm round her.

"I know. I want time with us on our own more too but there aren't enough hours in the day any more for either of us. Things were easy when we were younger. Is it mad I feel old and I am only thirteen?"

"No I think with what we have all been through over the past few years it is understandable." he said to her.

"I want to be normal. Part of a regular family… some times. I like being a marauder, but it's the baggage that comes with that name that bothers me at times. I wouldn't change a single hair on any one of their heads but I … we have such bad luck at times." she said.

"I know but at least we are together. I mean not only us but our families. I loved summer. When we were all at the den together." he said as he strummed his hands through her hair.

"I did too. I just want all the pleasure and none of the pain." she said tot him.

"Don't we all?" he questioned.

"Yeah. I guess we do…" she said as she trailed off in thought.

-

Sirius got home to see his wife still up. She didn't looked annoyed and she didn't look happy, but she looked content for some reason.

"Are you ok darling?!" he asked her.

She nodded. She didn't believe it. She had had the best day.

Before she had gone shopping with Ruby she had been sick, just after breakfast then she had got a test, because she had just had to cheek and she was, well she was…

"I'm having a baby." she said to him. "I'm having our baby."

"You are?" he said and a huge smiled spread across his face as he rushed to be by her side.

"I am." she said to him with a solemnly facial

"You don't seem over joyed about this" she said.

"I am, I am." she assured him. "I just don't know it happened so fast, I mean I was sick when I was out with ruby she suggested it and I did the test and now we have a child on the way." he said to him.

"Well it's not like we hadn't planned all this."

"I know but now it has come it just hasn't sunk in yet." she said as she put her head on his shoulder. "Your going to be a daddy." she sighed.

"I know." he sighed with joy. And it felt great.


	23. Knowing

Chapter 23: Knowing

In the eyes of the young marauder, valentines never lasted long enough.

It was the one day a year when love and joy toke priority over all other things. But again it had come and it had passed and she had to get love out of her head and learning it to it. Not that Elle wanted to at all.

She could have happily stayed thinking of it forever. It had just been a walk and some sandwiches but it had been nice and peaceful. She felt as if she had had nothing to worry about and it had felt divine. Almost as if she had been free again. Free of worry for her brother, and her parents.

The DA meetings were getting easier for her now that she had no training to worry over and she was improving so much though that once her brother had asked her what she had done to get her game together in his classes so quickly.

Hermione was also even better than she had been before though it was hard to believe. She was just a brilliant student though. And she had the determination to be the best all of the time.

As for the girls, now they were Animagi, training was over it did not stop them going off together privately to enjoy there new gift which they did once a week. They loved it. Elle found herself hoping when she and Summer were over they had a friendship as she and Hermione did. She wanted them to be close.

But some thing else brilliant did come from Valentines and that was undoubtedly the article in the Quibbler. That had been why Hermione had needed to steal Harry from Ginny for a bit on Valentines. It seemed she had got Rita Skeeter at bay and with her she had finally got Harry's side of the story of what had happened of late across. He was finally portrayed in the right light. Not as a attention mad young abusive teenager but as a hero and a brave boy who had been through to much for his age.

Every one in Hogwarts for the most part read it and every one was moved (mostly). Harry was back on top and he was considered a boy wonder.

Even the teachers who were meant to be unbiased gave him treats and rewarded him for having the courage to speak out against the people who had been so unfair towards him.

Well all except one of them. Every one saw how unhappy Umbridge was with the situation and every one was thrilled to bits with in the Gryffindor house group (except her pet Slytherins). Elle grinned, the twins joked and Ginny made an extra special effort to show Harry how much she appreciated all he had done. Harry had been treated like a prince that day that article came out. Some may say the prince he was born to be.

As the month set in though worry was never far from Ellouise's heart. Her brother was getting the strangest of dreams and she yearned for him to confide in her. She had to know what was going on if she was going to help him.

"What happened in this dream then." asked Elle to her brother.

"It was like - like I was Voldemort." he said to her quietly as they sat together by the lake,

"I was in his head." He explained and she nodded.

He was confused. It was like the one he had had at Christmas when he had awoken to find his father hurt.

"have you told mum and dad. They will be able to make more sense of it than me," she said to him add he nodded. He had known that all along.

She however was glad he had felt he had been able to go to her when he had been troubled. They were getting on so well.

"So any thing new with you?" He asked.

"As if. When is anything new with me any more." she said to him. She was plodding along quite happily apart from all the troubles he was having. No, life for her was ok right now, and that was a blessing.

-

For Lily her son was as greater concern as ever and when she had got the letter telling her of the dream and of what had happened fin it she was even more worried.

"What are we going to do?" she asked James.

"Call an order meeting I guess if its about this so called weapon again. I wish I knew what it was." he sighed in built up frustration.

"And we will. Soon enough. I'm sure of it. This is just so…why us hey? It almost makes you wish it was frank and Alice's son who had been the boy who lived."

"Don't say that sweet her. I wouldn't wish what Harry had to go through on Neville Being a hero makes our son who h is and we have to have that so he is who he is and I would not change a hair on his head.."

"Because he is so attracted to danger, just like you?" he asked.

"perhaps." he shrugged. "I don't want him in danger any more than you do though. I want our boy to live tot a ripe old age." he said to her.

"And with any luck, he will." she said smiling to him, giving him a kiss sighing

"I have to go put the word around about the meeting," he said and he nodded.

"Ok." he said and went on his own way to the living room where Mel and Sirius were sitting together, the newly weds smiling.

"Is some thing going on that I should know about?"

"Not yet." said Sirius to him as he kissed her. "What was that I heard you say about an order meeting" he asked changing the subject

"There has to be one called today." he said to them

-

Harry was having another horrid week. Life didn't seem able to get any worse for her big brother in Ellouise's eyes.

He got detention, told off, the lessons with Snape were not easy to handle. He never got a break.

"I want to help him but I could do nothing,"she said to Fred.

"I know you can. But what you can do be there for him, as he was there for you when you were ill last Christmas." she said to him.

"Dudley was more there for me then." Elle shrugged. Oh how she missed him when they were apart. There friendship was every thing to her.

"He was trying to be but you were there and he was here. And it was you who ran away." he reminded her.

"I know I was but I had my reason," she retorted. "You know them better than most, to a lot of people I'm just the girl who went mad."

As much as she had been welcomed back by her friends in those months wonderful there had been plenty of whispers and laughs at her expense. And with the news papers stating her brother was crazy, it hadn't been unnoted by the papers break downs were some what of a specialty in the Potter family.

"I am not spoiling for a fight. I just want you to see that he needs you now more than either of you think. You lived as siblings all your life. I bet you missed so much when you were young when he was here and you were not. Keep that in mind and be strong."

"I will." She nodded to him before shaking her heads. "I bet you wish at times we have never got back together. I am such a stupid fool. And I moan all the time."

"With good reason." He said as he took her hands." Elle you judge yourself by the standards of you rum and your dad, and your brother and you never see it any more, all any one wants you to be is you," he reminded her. "I know for a bit you didn't know who you were yourself. But you have got to get your head in the game again. Just be you, and don't try to be any thing your not." She nodded, and put her head on his shoulder.

"Fred?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think we can go get a butterbeer from the kitchen?" She said to him. They had used to do stuff like that all the time."

"I think so." He said as he starting leading her there.

-

"So how is my son and my daughter?" Lily said to Severus. In the room that had been out side for the order meetings.

It was a beautiful room and one that had been intended to be some what of a throne room. When the marauders had been young they had been the princes of the house of Gryffindors. Thus they had made a house that was like the old palaces. This room was impressive to all who went in to it, but all Severus saw was a sign of there arrogance.

"I have not seen much of your daughter but I know your son is not working as hard as he should with his Occlumey." he said to his old friend, they had been together but that had not affected how they were together now when they were in private.

"Say what you wish, I know he is working as hard as he can. He has a lot of pressure on his head right now." she said to him.

"He isn't, he needs to put his all in to it."

"He is Severus believe me, he is not a man. He is a boy still. You need to remember that." she said to him sternly.

"Believe me I had not forgotten. Your point is proved to me every day."

Lily's eyes flashed with anger.

"And you said my husband was arrogant. You barely know every thing my son goes through and yet you judge him." she said to him.

"I saw James when he was young and I see him in the boy."

"Then you judge him by his fathers standards and not his own!" said Lily to him.

"No, I judge what I see Lily."

"Than you know what Severus I don't think you are looking very hard." She said to him as she collapsed in a chair, exasperated by him.

"Lily I do not mean to offend you but I think when you look at your family I think you will see your the only one trying to make this work."

"No. you are on the out side and you never listen to reason. Sev, you never did not even when," she said.

"When what?" he questioned.

"When we were together." She said

"Well that was a life time ago." He said to her. She nodded. Yes it was. They were very different know to how they had been then. So young and free.

-

God life got boring at times.

"Mum, dad can I go up to the house please!" asked Dudley.

He would go see the twins, he thought to himself.

With no Elle, no Harry, no other sort of teenager at home at the moment they were the nearest he got to company his age, and he saw them when ever he could.

His father nodded, and he went straight up to the road to the Den.

Quickly finding his aunt, he told her he was there and then he went up to the room where he knew he was going to find his young cousins.

If there had been one thing that had fascinated him since May it had been watching the two of them change.

Summer he thought, was going to be the mischief maker off the two whilst Mark would be the brains of the operation. He didn't know why he thought that, he just did.

**An: Hope every one who is reading is still enjoying this! **

**Thanks for all the reviews, and please reviews again! **


	24. In Training

Chapter 23

"Were you down stairs early?" asked Beth as she got to the common room.

Elle was sitting in there her head stuck in her home work. Shaking her head she looked at her friend curiously.

"What happened?" she asked as she tried to study.

"It seems that Umbridge might have gone to far this time." she said to her.

"How so?" she asked hopefully. Hogwarts had been ten times better when she wasn't there.

"The Divination teacher has been sacked, by her." she said to her. Elle looked up wards at Beth. She had heard that she was not happy with the women but she would never have guessed she would sack her. Surely she didn't have that sort of power?

"Can't Dumbledore do some thing?" she asked wonderingly.

"I don't know, but it seems that he is losing his hold here." she said to her.

"It won't be good for the Order if he does, or the DA I shouldn't think." said Elle thoughtfully. Both girls had thought this the moment they heard of it.

"No, it won't but they must be aware of how bad things are going here, I mean the Order." she said to her.

"Yeah I mean he wouldn't let things slide this far surely. He's Dumbledore. He is one of the greatest wizards who ever lived." she said.

"I know."

"Bloody hell, things were so easy when we first started here." thought Elle.

And it was not only the family matters that were getting harder for them both. It was the work the teachers were pilling the work on the third years.

Life was getting harder. And she had no way to escape it.

-

It was a rare thing the two Potters got time alone but Harry and Elle were finally making time to be together away from the others.

"It is nice isn't it? Just us for once." Elle said.

"Yeah." said Harry as they wandered toward the lake.

"You alright mate. I know these past few months have been crazy for us."

"You can say that again." he agreed as they walked.

Suddenly out of the trees that surrounded it though Hagrid come out. He was looking bruised.

"Yer right kids?" he asked.

"I think we are the ones who's should be asking if you are ok!" replied Ellouise,

With worry.

"Elle is right Hagrid. What is going on?" Harry backed his sister up.

"Nothing, its nothing." he said to then waving off the comments off his young friends.

"No come on Hagrid we have always been friends," said Harry. "What is going on?" he asked.

"I told yer nothing. I be seein' you guys, later on." he said to them.

"Some thing is seriously up with him," said Elle to her brother once Hagrid was out of ear shot.

"You think?" he replied sarcastically.

-

The best bits of the week were of course the DA meetings still which were as constant, with out being held on the same night, as they could be.

The stuff they were learning was very difficult for the third years. Elle and Beth were doing there best but some times they lagged behind the others. It was hardly surprising.

As the school year progressed they came to try and to master there own Patronus. Of course for some it was always going to be easier than others.

Harry's Patronus was the example of course and as prongs rode through the room Elle smiled proudly at the ever so strong reminder of their wonderful father.

"Remember guys, producing it here in the brightly lit room is a lot different from producing it when you are in front of a Dementor or something on a dark night." Harry said to them

"Oh Harry don't be a kill joy." Cho complained and Elle felt that was rather off. Wasn't the whole point of the meeting to try and get the levels of defense up so that if something like that did happen they were going to be able to cope?

However as much as Elle wanted to concentrate she couldn't. It was at last time for Easter and for the two weeks up coming she was going to go home and meet up with Dudley. She couldn't wait to see her brother again; they were going to have such a laugh, as they always did.

"We need a Boggart though." said Harry as they practiced saying the charm.

"Oh but Harry that would be so scary." protested Lavender who had clearly hated it when they had done it in there third year.

Elle her self had found Boggart's fascinating or as fascinating as she had been able to be when she had been learning from a text book.

"No. There not." said Elle remembering the summer before. "Not if you can deal with them." she said.

Harry smiled, but he knew how scared she had been when she had thought she had lost her god father. She seemed to be able to separate fact and fiction these days though.

Reminiscing on that moment made Elle feel another wave off home sickness hit her. She swore she was never going to get used to being here.

She wondered some times if her up bringing had been different, if she hadn't been such a clingy cuddly child it'd be easier. Of course it would, she thought to herself, but it was too late to change that now.

"But we don't." said Lavender.

"Then we need to learn how too, don't we Harry?" she asked there teacher.

"Precisely." He agreed with his sister,

-

"Thanks for the back up you gave us today sis, it was appreciated." said Harry as they got back to the safety of the common room.

"Well she was being an idiot. Boggarts aren't as bad as they real thing, I am sure. The only way it can get to you is if you let it in to your brain. If you think it is fake, then it is. If you think it is real then, it is going to destroy you."

"Spoken like a true Potter as dad would say." he said making her laugh.

"You heard from the old man lately?" she asked.

"He'd have you for calling him an old man." he said to her.

"I know he would."

Harry shook his head as he laughed. "Yeah I got my check up from him through the mirror yesterday. He seemed excited." he commented.

"Over what?" she asked.

"He didn't say."

The very last Dumbledore army meeting of the term had come a week after the one concerning the Boggarts and that day they were going to be doing Patronus.

It was more of a fun lesson than a serious many of the members felt as it was so close to the holidays and so while they did concentrate it wasn't to the level which Harry had become accustom to form the followers of the army. Elle some times felt in these meetings Harry got sympathy for the teachers he had not felt before.

His sister's head was as usual completely in the skies though he had expected it. She was going to be going home for Easter. Ginny was returning to the Den too. The golden trio had decided instead to stay behind study through the holidays. It had of course been Hermione's idea.

It had been a long term and every one felt peace was needed and had decided to seek it in there own way.

"Right I think that should do It." said Harry as he drew the meeting to a close. "Well done every one. You're all working really well and we shall resume after the holidays as half the army are leaving for break." he said too them. "I'll get word about with in the first week of return of the next meeting. Have a good Easter all!"

The members who were going to be staying on for the holidays felt rather disappointed there was no meeting as every involved it was one of the best parts of the weeks.

As every one cleared up there was smiling and laughing and much talk of the already growing anticipation for the DA meetings after the holidays and that was when the atmosphere in the room changed as some one who had not been in the class entered.

Dobby the house elf who had been of course the finder of the room which the army used for there meetings came rushing in.

"Harry potter sir!" he said to him there was a clear panic in his voice. "She is coming, or her squad is any way sir!" he said to him.

"Who are?" Harry asked the elf.

"Umbridge and her squad sir!"

The inquisitor squad.

Elle and the rest of DA all looked to there leader for orders.

"What are you lot waiting for," he asked them. "Run!"

That was all they needed to hear as they legged it and this time it was every girl or boy for themselves.

Running from the room just in front of her brother Elle tried to get away with him. But it was no good.

"Potter's, both of you!" A voice drawled behind them. This wasn't good, thought Elle to herself. "Professor I have two of them!" said Malfoy.

_This was bad_…

"Well done Malfoy, fifty points to Slytherin. So what have new here? Harry and Elle Potter. Stand up both of you!" she demanded seeing as they had fallen over Malfoy's trip jinx.

Elle had to say she had never seen the bitch look happier.

"Go and check the libratory and the toilets Malfoy for any one out of breath. As for our dear Potter's why don't we take a trip to the head masters office?"

Elle's eyes looked to her big brother. He was as ever defiant and this gave her courage. A courage she didn't always feel she had.

They lead them both there roughly, neither of them protesting, accepting what was going on in a way she felt Umbridge didn't think they would. She was so utterly vile.

Elle hoped if she was here next year her mother would not force her to return. She would be far happier learning with Dudley with from her at home, or perhaps being tutored by her god mother. But then wasn't she just running away?

As they arrived, they climbed the golden spiral stair case up to the head masters office

Elle looked around. She has always been fascinated by the office. How ever it was just a shame when she was there she was always pre occupied.

McGonagall, Dumbledore, Fudge, Shacklebolt and to Elle's disgust Percy Weasley were all there. How had he ever made Gryffindor? There was also student; Elle didn't know who she was, though she did know she had been at the first Dumbledore's army meeting.

"Lucius's boy found them heading for the Gryffindor tower."

Elle tried to keep calm but deep down her heart was bursting out of her chest with nerves. She didn't like getting in to trouble. In that respect she was like Neville. She didn't like it but if she had to get in trouble for some thing she believed in, she would.

Through out the conversation she tried to keep her thoughts on going home to the Den where she was going to do tomorrow.

She was going to see her mother…Dudley and most importantly Remus. She missed him horribly, and wished he was there to get her out of trouble, but he wasn't.

What ever happened to her now she had to face as a marauder and not be scared.

Breathing calming, not even her brother knew such thoughts of uncertainty. She looked completely sure of herself, when she had not been that in a long time in reality.

She kept her head down and blocked it out till she saw her brothers eyes flash with anger.

Her eyes turned to the student.

She had been so nervous that she had not really studied her till them. Her face was disfigured and across her cheeks the word 'SNEAK'

"Go on dear; tell them all what you told me." Umbridge encouraged her but the girl looked scared and shook her head, "come now, you have been so good. Tell them."

How ever she wouldn't and it wasn't long till Umbridge lost her temper with the girl.

"Well I can tell you all what she said, Potter here, and no doubt with the help of his oh so innocent baby sister has started a illegal defense against the dark arts group."

"Leave Ellouise out of this." said Harry protectively.

"Well you were there tonight weren't you Miss Potter…ANSWER!!!" she yelled at her.

"Yes I was there. Harry and I were up on the seventh floor but there was no club!" she lied out of her teeth, "We just felt like a walk."

"Then why not go out side?" she sneered.

"It's been raining tonight hasn't it?" she asked her.

"Dolores is this unnecessary. The children have clearly been up nothing, as you put it illegal." said Minerva. "Let them go."

"No I will not leave it when she is so obviously lying!" she said to her as she looked back at Elle, scowling in hatred.

"On the contra the girl has been in my house for near three years now and she had never been a liar nor has Harry." Minerva stood up for them both.  
"Well we both know that isn't true. He loves to spit his rumours."

"I am there head of house and I am speaking out for them, head master, minister." she said to both of the men, only one who she actually respected. "It is getting late" she said to them. "The children should be on there way to bed."

"Yes. In fact they should have been in there common room a long time ago." said Umbridge. "It past time for all the students to have left the rest of the school"

"Well yes and I will punish them for being out after hours." said McGonagall. "But I think that both have a valid reason for there walk and I shall get to the bottom of it," she concluded. "Is there any thing else?" she said to her so called superior.

"Yes. I don't believe them and they are going no where till _I_ have got to the bottom of this." she said to her. "We have proof that one day last term Harry organized a meeting at the Hogs Head and he met a number of students there, whom he talked to about this so called defense against the darks arts group. They all agreed to start meeting as a few loyal students have reported back to me. Now I hear they are learning spells that the ministry find inappropriate for students of there age to be learning!" she raged.

Only because you know we have the talent to do them and the bottle as well, thought Elle to herself. The women was utterly pathetic, she released quickly.

Nothing but a lap dog of the ministry.

"Even if this is the case you can not persecute the children for the meeting in the Hogs Head Cornelius, Dolores. The decree did not come in till after the date that they had it which I feel I am sure it did. Neither Elle or Harry deny it did, do you?" he asked.

Harry shook his head and she followed.

"How ever the other meetings have been illegal." she said to him.

"Then I assume you have proof positive that they were carried out Dumbledore replied.

"Proof? Proof, what other proof do I need, have you listen to a word Miss Edgecome said to night."

"Not a lot. You have spoken for her and until I hear it come out of her month, I will take that as no proof at all." Said the head master.

"Very well," she said as she turned to Miss Edgecombe. "Just nod or shake you head dear," said Umbridge to her. "Do you know of any other meeting except that one at the Hogs Head?"

Elle looked at her deformed face and she had not pity for at all, feeling she had brought it on her self, and that was rather unusual for the sensitive young girl to fell such anger at some one she hardly even knew. What right had she had blabbing?

Her eyes feel on her brother and he looked agitated.

Every one who stood in the room, and all the portraits, who were all awake by now, had there eyes on the Ravenclaw answer.

Then to Elle's joy and Harry's she shook her head.

"I don't think you under stood what I asked you dear." said the high inquisitor. "Have you been aware of any meetings in the past six months?" she asked again.

Once again she shook her head.

"No listen to me."

"Dolores I think her meaning is quite clear," said the Gryffindor head of house. "She haa not known of no meetings."

"But she said there one tonight and that Potter was the leader. Why are you shaking your head girl?" she asked furiously.

"Because she is saying no." said McGonagall.

Then every one was shocked by what Umbridge did. Clearly her anger had boiled over and she seized Marietta pulling her and shaking her. Kinsley and Dumbledore quickly got up to the girls age.

"You will not man handle my students." Dumbledore told her with fury.

Marietta for her part looked petrified, nor was it lesson when she was released. She just looked desperate to get out of the office.

Elle listened on as Umbridge tried to calm her self and then spoke to the Minister about that's nights meeting and how they had needed just proof.

And how they had it.

Elle was panic stricken as she saw the piece of parchment they had all signed when they had joined the DA being presented to Fudge by Umbridge.

Harry did nothing so she followed his lead and kept quiet.

But then the night took the strangest twist to come so far.

As Fudge announced the name of the group Dumbledore shrugged and told every one "The game was up. Would you like a written confession from me?" he asked.

-

"He just vanished." said Elle as she told Fred once they were back at the common room to find he and Ginny had waited up for the two Potters . Both off the sibling's were shaken by that night's event.

Between the two of them, Harry and Elle had told them both what had happened and as they came to the end of there tale the other two looked worried.

"Where do you think he has gone?" Asked Ginny.

"Well I am betting our best bet would be to see if he has turned up at the Den," said Harry.

"I'll mirror Remus when I get up to bed and ask if he has." said Elle as she hugged Fred

"Are you ok?" checked her brother.  
"Yeah why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason. You just looked scared back there." he said to her.

She nodded. "I was." There was no point in lying about it to him.

"Well I think you did well." he said to her.

"Thanks," she muttered but it didn't seem like she had done all that much. He had done most of it. But in Harry's mind his sister had stood by him when she had been worried. She had used her Gryffindor courage. She had been the Elle of the past before Hogwarts that night.

He remembered when he and she and Dudley had got in trouble when they had been kids and how panicked she had used to be when they were caught by their uncle and aunt.

She had always let the boys do the talking and then taken what ever punishment they had then been given.

"All I did was lie to try and get us out if there." she said to him.

"It would have worked better if they hadn't got that list. I can't believe that snitch." said Harry to his sister.

"Do you think mum is going to mad?" she asked.

"She is going to kill us, and clean up the mess remember?" he laughed remembering the night before they had come back to school. "Dad will only be angry we caught. What kind of marauders are we?" He said to her.

"Ones in training."


	25. Return to the Den

Chapter 25

The next day's breakfast was a tense one for Elle. As she thought of all that had gone on the day and the journey home.

She wondered if she was going to get in trouble with her mother when she got there for every thing that had got on with the head master.

Lily was going to only have her to blame it on if she did.

Harry was not returning to the Den with her.

So at ten thirty the group walked down to the station together and those who were going to be returning for Easter got on the train.

Beth, Elle, Ginny and the twins were the only ones going back for the break. So after hugs and telling every one they were already looking forward to the return in just two weeks they got to a carriage and settled down.

"I can not wait to get back." said Beth.

"Speak for yourself." said Elle as she sat by Fred,

"Are you really worried about your mum?" she asked.

"After what she sat to me and Harry before we left for school this year I am. I mean I know it is going to be ok and I think my dad will stick up for me but I think I was out of order… I dunno …maybe."

"I think she is going to be ok, I mean at the end of the day we were only doing what we thought was right. We were sticking to our belief. I am sure Lily will understand that." she said to her.

"Yeah your right, she will." Elle replied.

The rest of the journey was spent talking about the up coming exams and the fact that the twins were going to be leaving Hogwarts in June for the very last time.

Elle didn't believe it and she was rather worried about life for her and Fred after wards. They were going to have a lot harder time to try and get together for the after noon.

There was going to be no more hugs in the common room after the day's lessons.

"What are you thinking about?" he whispered

"Change." she explained. "There is a hell of a lot of it going on right now." she said to him.

"That's true but it isn't all going to be bad you know." he told her. "Things are going to be fine."

"So every one keeps saying. You know it's like we are all trying to brain wash each other." she said. "The danger is so real."

"Elle when I met you do you know what I remember most about that eleven years old who got sorted in to Gryffindor."

"What?"

"That you believed in the truth and that you didn't let any thing bet you. You could dream and your dreams could take you away but no one could take your dreams away from you. Don't change that." he said.

"I am not going to. But Freddie…"

"Find your courage darling. Stop needing every one to tell you it will be ok. Starting telling your self that," he told her.

She nodded. What he was saying was making a lot of sense.

The rest of the journey was passed in games of cards and chatting.

Once they got to the train station they were greeted by Mel and Sirius.

"Mum looks like she has been piling on pounds." said Beth in Elle's ear.

"Beth!" she said back to her but she shrugged off the tone of her friends voice and Elle had to agree silently when she looked back at her yes she did.

"You alright kids." asked Sirius as they got up to him.

"Yup were all good." said Beth to her step father.

"That's is what we like to hear." he said as he hugged her first and then Ellouise and smiled at the Weasley's kids who had returned.,

He was grinning like an idiot thought Beth to herself. There was defiantly some thing going on.

"Elle I have to warn you." said Sirius to her.

"Don't say it - mum." he muttered to him.

"Well as you know me and you dad have put her in a fair few bad moods in our time, but I think you two have hit the jack pot." he said to her.

"Maybe we have, but the thing is Harry is not here so it is just going to be me getting the blame," she said as they walked to the car.

"I don't think she is going to go to mad at you, hopefully." Said Mel sportingly. "Sirius is having you on."  
"Thanks." said Elle but she had to say she trusted her uncles judgment first. Though she had to say they both knew her mother very well so it could go either way.

Elle sat next to Fred on the way back to the Den and she was happy to get there when the journey ended. Not because she wanted to get away from him but it had been a long day of traveling for every one.

Going in to the magnificent reception of the Marauders Den she sighed. It was so good to be home she thought to herself.

As she breathed in the welcoming scent she heard a gurgle come from the living room and went in to see her god mother with the twins.

"Oh Elle." said Ruby as she got up to get her. She was so glad to see she was home.

"I missed you," cooed Elle as they embraced.

"So did I my darling," she told her.

But when she saw the twins she quickly pulled away. She was so eager to cuddle them. They had grown so much since they she had been gone. Picking up baby Mark she wondered how much longer he was really going to be a baby. He was going to be a toddler in no time at all no doubt.

Summer was the same.

"Where is Remus?" she asked as she smiled affectionately as the twins. She had missed them both so much. There little faces could light up the darkest of places.

"You know your god father much better than I do these days. I think he is in his study as normal."

That was all she needed to hear as she chose to ignore the bitterness in her god mothers voice. She was so eager to see him she didn't want to feel bad that she was so close to him when her god mother was not.

Flying up the stairs to his room, she forgot to knock on the door as she would normally and flow in to his room to find him sitting at desk reading through what looked official documents.

"Oh sweetheart come here," he said standing up as he saw her and cuddled her with all the love in the world.

"Remus you don't know how much I have wanted to see you." she said to him lovingly. Out of every one he had been the one she had wanted to see the most. He always was. His only rival was may be Dudley.

"And me you. This place is so quite with out you love." he said to her kissing her fore head as they held on to each other.

"I am glad to hear," she said to him. You can't be having all the fun with out me." she said to him.

"As if Ellouise. I am sure you have more fun at Hogwarts with your friends in a day than we do in a term here." he told her.

"I don't know about that," she said to him.

"Well I know me and your father used to when we were there. Oh we used to have such a scream. But I guess we did not have Umbridge there," he told her sympathetically. "Is she awful?" he asked.

"I don't think that is the word to describe her," she sighed heavily.

"Then what is?"

"I could not possibly use such vulgar language in front of my worldly wise god father," she said to him.

"Then I guess this time you have better keep it to yourself for the sake of my ears." he nodded, understanding what she was saying.

"I think that is a good choice." she said to him as she sat down on his bed and he returned to the desk. "I wish you were still teaching."

"So do I at times. But I made my choice to leave for the right reasons." he told her.

"I know you did."

"Any way I don't think Umbridge is the only thing we should be talking about." Remus said to Elle. "I do believe for all the trouble we got in to when we were at school the original Marauders never got Dumbledore sacked."

"Remus don't I feel awful" she said to him down heartedly.

He laughed "I am sure you do." he said to her.

"I think I am going to feel worse when mum gets her hands on me."

"Perhaps. Then I think it is best you go and face the music." he told her.

"Me too." she agreed as she headed towards the door. "How long till full moon." she asked.

"This Thursday night."

"Can I come out with you?" she asked.

"I think we are going to have to see what your mother said first." he nodded to her.

"Right do you know where she is?"

"I think she is in there garden." he told her.

"Right. Wish me luck." she said as she made her way back down stairs to a now clear hallway. Ditty must have come to show the others to the guests rooms she thought.

Going out in to the gardens she sighed. Part of her couldn't wait to see her mother. The others side. Not so.

When she found Lily she saw her mother w s clearly having some down time to herself. She was planting seeds in the rose garden and was doing so the muggle way. She knew her mum rather enjoyed gardening when she got five minutes to herself.

"Hey." she said as she approached her.

"Good evening darling." her mother greeted her as she saw her daughter come up to her side and sit down with her.

"Did you miss me?" asked Elle.

"Not at all." said a sarcastic Lily as she kissed her daughters cheek.

"That's what I thought."

"Are you mad?"

"Yes Elle. I can see why you and your brother did what you did, but it has had a huge effect on the Order. It isn't good is it?"

"It was never out aim to get Dumbledore sacked."

"No." said a weary Lily. "I know it wasn't sweet." she said staying calmer than her daughter thought she was going to.

"I thought you were going to go mad at me." Admitted Elle. "I have been so worried all day.

"You soppy little thing." Lily chuckled.

"I know but I have to say mum I don't think I could have blamed you."

"Well you two had the best intention in the world and I can't blame you for that. It just means that the order has to change tactics and isn't going to be hard. We're used to it."

"Alright," Elle to Lily as she got up, still feeling a bit guilty. Now she had that sorted it was on to see her cousin and enjoy her holiday.

But she had to say she was worried about her mum. She didn't think she had ever seen Lily look as aged as she did that day. But she guessed the amount if worry and pressure her mother was constantly under was doing that too her.

Running in to her room she changed swiftly and told Remus she was off to see Dudley. She was all in all quite glad to be back.


	26. Lunch

Chapter 26

"It is so good to see you Dudley I have missed you so much." said Ellouise as they hugged.

When he had seen her coming down the round he had run out to greet her.

"Me too." he said to his partner in crime. He didn't think he was ever going to get used to her being gone from his life for months at a time.

But the one thing that made it easier was knowing he was not the only one who hated it so much. And they only had four years left to go now.

"How have you been?" said Elle to him.

"Yeah not so bad." he muttered as he let her go.

"What about your mum and dad." She said to him.

"Yeah there fine but I think they are going to be glad to see you why don't you come in? Mum has got a pizza in the oven."

"Sounds good to me." she said to him as they went in to the small cottage.

"Have you heard from Lauren and Piers lately?" she asked as they entered.

"Yeah uncle David rung last night. We are going to go down and see them in a couple of weeks." he explained.

"How long for?"

"Not long at all I don't think. I mean I know your mum is my teacher now and I can have the time off if I want to but I have exams coming up."

"And since when did you start caring about exams." she asked.

"When I started all the subjects your mum teaches me I mean the ones you and Harry learn up at Hogwarts. Potions is my favorite. I don't really need a wand to do some so its pretty cool and I'm good at it too." he told her.

"Elle welcome back!" said Petunia as the two of them went in to the kitchen.

"You ok?" she asked as she looked for her uncles face.

"Yes I am. Your uncles in the garden if you want to go see him."!" She explained to her.

"Ok."

Going out in to the garden she soon realized Dudley had hung behind in the kitchen so it was just going to be the two of them. Damn she thought to herself. Maybe in the old days she would have been grateful for that, but not any more. She some times found it so hard for him to talk to Vernon when there was no one else there.

Going up behind his chair as he sat there reading his news paper she covered his eyes and walked up to his side.

"Guess who" she asked in his ear

"Elle!" he said recognizing the voice as soon as he heard it. He thought he would know it any where.

"Good to see you too, how are you?"

"Very well. Yourself?"

"I'm' good."

-

The next day Elle found herself in the gardens for lunch. She had the twins and were watching them for her mum and she was having a great time. She didn't know how much she missed them both till she was home with them.

Both were crawling now and seemed to have really grown up in the time she had been away from them. It was a shame. She loved to watch them grow. They were people in their own right now, with there own personalities their own likes and dislikes.

It wasn't long till the party of three were joined by two more.

The Weasley twins had been walking down in to the gardens when they had found her and both settled down together with her.

"So what's up with Mel?" asked Fred.

"Yeah I mean did you notice how arsey she was with every one at break fast today?" she asked.

Elle had to say she had. She was being really off with every one.

"Sirius is such a fun guy. How can he be stuck with such a moody mare?" asked George.

Elle laughed. "She had one bad day we are all aloud one of them, give her a break. She most likely just got out of the wrong side of them bed."

"What every day since we have been home?"

Elle was just as curious as they were. She had never been like this before since she had known her.

"You don't think she is going through the change?" asked Fred

"No I don't I don t think she is even forty yet, she can't be she is far to young….but she might be -"

"She might be what?"  
"You know - pregnant."

The twins, looked shocked but how she thought of it, it was not such a mad suggestion. She was a newly wedded women to a man who'd always wanted to be a dad. They loved and knew each other well. Why shouldn't they have a child? There wasn't a reason in the world. Had every thing gone to plan all those years before had the likely hood was that their child would have grown up with Ellouise and Harry as a third sibling.

"Maybe." George nodded.

It was then that Beth and Dudley stepped out the back door together.

"Any food going spare?" asked Dudley he asked as he stepped out in to the bright sun light from the cool shady house.

"Yeah come on, come over." said Elle to him. Fred removed the hand that had been edging nearer to Elle. Dudley did approve but he did not like to see them together. No elder brother liked the thought of his kid sister.….well.

"What are you lot up too?"

"Nothing much just passing the time of day." She said to him.

"We might as well have stayed at school if we are just going to sit about all holiday." Beth said to them.

"I guess so. Why don't we go have a game of Quidditch?!"

"Yeah because I can play that cant I?" Dudley asked them sarcastically.

"true." Elle nodded, racking her brains for what else they could do.

"Dudley!" they heard a cry from inside and they turned to see lily coming out of the house, looking for her nephew. "Hey sweetie, I wondered where you were. I was think do you want to go over some of that history." She asked him.

"Well I guess I do have a test on Friday and if I say no you are just going to bring this up when I fail;."

"You learn so quickly baby." She teased.

"And I suppose all of you have done your home work and revision. Don't forget the end of term exams are coming up."

"We won't mum, not with you about. And this is meant to be my holiday." Promised Elle as her mother came over to her and the twin.

Lily laughed as she affectionate hugged her elder daughter. She wished Harry had returned. She missed them both so much when they were gone.

"You know it makes sense." She told her. "There so big." She muttered to her as they looked at the babies. "And you are a great elder sister, you know that baby?" she said to her, cupping her face gently.

"I don't think I am that great. Its you, dad, Ruby and Dudley been doing most of the work."

"That's true." She agreed, "do you want me to take them off your hands for a bit." She asked.

"Erm yeah ok," she said to her.

Lily picked up her son and her daughter in turn and carried them off in to the house, one in each arm talking to her nephew as they went.

"Come on then Beth. I think these too want to be alone. Your good at potions right?" he checked.

"Not so bad," the black haired girl replied.

"Then I could do with some help with erm – something." He grinned and the pair walked off.

Elle and Fred smiled at one another, got up and walked deeper in to the gardens where they were sure to be left alone for a while.

Leaning up, she kissed him smiling as she did so.

"I feel much better than I did yesterday, and I think me and you should have some fun." She said to him.

"Elle I could not agree more." He said to her, as he leant down and kissed her back.

His arms wrapped round her and it was not long till he had found her hips and he tickled them.

"Fred, Freddie stop!" she said to him shrieking with laughter, falling to the floor, landing in the grass.

"Oh come on Elle its fun!" he said to her laughing.

"There I have succumbed to your evil ways." She said as she stopped struggling, and laid in his arms happily.

Together they looked up at the sky. There were a few black clouds in it, but nothing so bad that they feared it might rain. It was over all a beautiful day.

"So much for our romantic pic-nic lunch for two eh?"

"Yeah…" she sighed."Do you really think Sirius has Mel up the duff?"

"He might have they have been married a few months up a year…" he shrugged. "But I don't want to think about them." He said stealing a kiss from her playfully.

"No…maybe not."

And for the first time in what felt for ever, Elle relaxed, enjoyed Fred's attention and forgot her worries. What ever was going to come was on its way. There was no point worrying about it. they might as well enjoy the free time they had.

An: first up date since DH, and I must say it broke my heart… if I write up to book seven in this story, which I don't know if I will, I won't be able to kill Remus _and_ Fred. It'd finish Elle off completely. I shall have to think about it.

Any way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Review!


	27. Over Hearing

Chapter 27

The middle of the night had come to the Marauders Den. As April continued the nights seemed to get warmer not that that was of much relevance to the wild life in the woods that night. A great stag wondered down one of the paths in to a clearing where he found a werewolf relaxed, sitting in the middle as he watched a little red fox try to bate the grim like creature by her side in to chasing her about.

As soon as she saw the stag though, she stopped, scurried over to him and brushed up against his legs.

It was with affection that the stag bent down and nuzzled in to the smaller animal. It was uncanny as they looked in to one another's eyes, which were hard to tell the difference between if you could not see their bodies.

Only maybe Lily would be able to do it.

The father was thrilled to have the night with his daughter. So rare was it that he got a little time off that he was thrilled to spend it with her. Affectionately he nuzzled in to her close, willing just to be near to his daughter as he relaxed but the energetic little being was in no mood to relax.

As soon as she got the point that he wanted her to rest with him she was up and jumping about again. Returning to the grim, she bashed in to his body causing no real affect.

Finally, the werewolf got up and proceeded to tease the little one, chasing her playfully whilst being careful never to being harm to her. It was good to have her home indeed.

Elle awoke the next day exhausted. She had had a wonderful last time and her fatigue was well worth it. She stretched in bed, turned over and decided maybe to go back to bed. There were no classes at home and she was glad of it.

She had been just about to fall back in to dreams when her door opened. She turned to see Beth, a huge smile on her face.

"You are never going to guess what?" she asked.

"What?"

"I am going to be big sister!"

She was beaming. Elle smiled back. It was odd she had always thought if Mel got pregnant then Beth would take it badly.

She had hardly been the easiest person to live with when they had been arguing and she had been positively against the thought of her mum marrying Sirius to begin with. She wondered what had brought her about.

Then again it didn't really matter did it?

"That is so wonderful!" she said as she got up and rushed round too hug her. "Excuse the morning breath."

"You excuse mine. As soon as I heard the news I came right down here, I am not sure you were even meant to know but I had to tell some one or I was sure I was going to go mad." She said to her.

Elle beamed. Beth had had to tell someone and she had come straight to her. It was funny to think they had drifted so far apart the year before. Now they were like sisters in so many ways.

"I thought you would have hated a baby." She said to her.

"What because I don't talk about boys twenty four hours a day or because I don't wear pink like you or Emily. I am not a complete monster."

"I know your not!" laughed Ellouise.

"I just don't believe it." she declared going back to the subject of her expected sibling. "I always thought it was just going to be more and mum and now I find I am going to be a big sister and have – well." She said as she dropped off.

"Go on." Pleaded Elle.

"Me and mum have found a man who loves us, both of us. Sirius - well I know you have not seen it but I have spent a fair bit of timed with him and he is like you know, the dad I never really – I dunno. Its corny." She shook her head.

Elle knew what she wanted to say. _The dad she never had. _

"I know. You don't have to explain to me. Beth I am so happy for you." she declared as they embraced.

"Good. Elle this is a good sign I know it. This is a good omen." She said to her as she run off to the next room no doubt to spread the happy news or to return to her mother and step father to celebrate with them.

Ellouise whole heartedly agreed with her. What else could a new life bring but a good omen. New blood to the Marauders Den. Possibly an heir for Padfoot. Part of her wondered if they thought it was important to him to have a son to carry on his name. They lived here in a some what stately home, she thought to herself. And ever since she arrived it had always reminded her of one of two things. A Fairy tale castle or a palace where a king of old might bring his court.

And the marauders were legend Hogwarts. She imaged they'd want their lines to continue, their name carried forward.

But she was sure Sirius was going to be thrilled with his baby what ever the sex. When he had been imprisoned he had lost all hope of his own family.

Now look at him, Elle thought to herself. No, Sirius would love the child no matter what it was. His parent's cared about sex and blood lines. He did not.

Fred watched Elle as she poured over her books. He didn't see the point in school any more. Not now they had the gold and the means to set up the shop.

That was his and George's dream and it was going to come true. And then when Elle finished her schooling she was going to come and be with him he told himself silently. They wouldn't live in the flat, they would be able to get a house together, the three of them and who ever George was with by then. No, the shop was for both their futures her mused to himself. He would make a fortune by the time she had finished Hogwarts and he was going to be able to keep her in manner she was accustom too.

"What are you thinking?" she asked finally

"What happens next? Elle this is my last term." He said to her. They had not yet spoken about it.

She sighed. She had known it was going to have to come up. There was no way around it. After all they were – serious about each other. They had to figure it all out. What happened now he was going to be leaving school.

"I can't imagine Hogwarts with out you." she admitted shamefully to him. Even when they had not been together he had always been there to look out for her when she had been down. It had been him last Christmas who had remembered her grand father's anniversary.

"No. it is going to be strange…Elle I don't want us to end. I know it is going to be hard to see each other but I love you. I am going to be loyal and we are going to get through this," he said.

"I know that. We have weathered worst storms than this my darling. It is going to be hard not seeing your ugly mug every day. But we are going to be fine." She teased. "I am dreading you know. Waking up and not seeing you." she said more tenderly.

"It's like you say it is going to be ok. I just think we need to be ready for it, because it is going to happen." He said to her. He didn't want to get to the end of summer and it be launched on them.

"Let's enjoy the term we do have and summer. And then we can think about missing one another." She advised him.

"Yeah…and then when you finch school we can get our own place." He suggested.

"Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about that?" she laughed even though thought that idea delighted her.

"Who's says? " he questioned.

That was undoubtedly one of the wonderful things about Fred, with him any thing was possible.

"Ok. So say we do get this house. What's it going to be like?" she asked, indulging in their little dream.

"Erm –" he said thinking for a moment. If this was going to be there home it needed thought. "It isn't going to be as big as this place." He offered as a starting point. "But it isn't going to be as small as mine is. There be four bed rooms, and a huge garden." He said.

"For the kids?"

"Eventually," he mused, but it really was too early to think of that. "But more just so – well don't know it'd just be nice, and we are going to gave a huge living room."

"And it's going to be white. White houses are so pretty!" she gushed in a mock girly fashion. "And roses are climb up it." more solemnly.

"And this is what you want for our house?"

"Yes, when I move in to it I will be mistress of the house, so you better obey me!" she reminded him.

"But I will be the master of the house. I will rule over it all. I will rule over you, be your master…"

"Now you really are dreaming."

From out side they heard some one walked down the corridor. Fred moved to look who it was, but by the time he got there, they were gone.

"Who was it?" asked Elle from the table.

"I have no idea."

---

He tossed and he turned. He tried to get comfortable. What he had heard that day had unnerved him. He was about to turn again he felt his wife's cool hand took his in her own, looking up at him with her emerald eyes.

"What is wrong James? You've not slept a wink darling."

"I was listening to a conversation today that I don't think I should have heard."

"Then it has some thing to with the one of two things. The order or the kids." She guessed.

"The latter."

"Then it is our eldest daughter or son on your mind. Nothing has happened to Harry has it?" she said quickly.

"No he is fine I spoke to him on the mirror tonight, he is doing good." he beamed with pride at the thought of his first born, "no this is Ellouise." He said before recounting to his wife all he had heard when he had been walking down the corridor and heard it all. He had stopped so maybe he had brought it on himself to hear her talking about it all.

"Oh come James don't worry about that." she said to him.

"So your telling me you think it is appropriate for our fourteen year old daughter to talk to her boy friend about there own place."

"That's all it is James, talk, she is a child and so is he deep down still. It'll never work, this is just them dreaming." Lily tried to explain her thoughts on the subject. "And who are we to stop her doing that?" she questioned. "She has had to many dreams for one of her aged squashed. So let her get on with it, and then when they break up which I bet they do it will be forgotten. And if they don't…then there meant to be."

"But lily…she is our little girl. How much of a child hood since she came to us has she actually had between worrying about her brother, breaking down and us joining the order? I want her to be a child before she grows up any more, is that so wrong?" he shook his head.

"No of course it isn't. And that is what I want for her too. And its what's she having. She thinks she has found her prince. She might have granted, but if not then at least she had had some fun on the road that will in the end lead her to heart brake. I hope she isn't on that road because she has suffered enough. Let her have fun, dream of big houses. For now she is our child and will remain so till she is of age. Go to sleep James. She's fine. She is doing what any other girl going through puberty is." She reassured him.

"Oh Lily." he said repulsed.

"James you are going to have deal with this. Besides she has always been interested in boys it is just part of who she is. May be she dinguses it well in front of you but she is a little flirt. She doesn't think I know it but I do. And she might get hurt. She wears her heart on her sleeve there is always a chance of her getting stung, that's the girl she is. But she is doing nothing abnormal for a girl of her age who has been through what she has. She's emotionally mature for her age; lord knows we all knew that. She had to build her life back up from scratch last year and Fred was always a part of the world she created for herself."

"But is that just it? A fantasy. Well the way I remember it they end awful quick. Lily I do not want our baby hurt again."

"But she is a teenage girl. She is going to be. And if we interfere we are just going to make things worse. Now get some sleep." She said to him playfully as she cuddle up to him.

It wasn't long till he heard crying from the cribs in the next room. One of their twins was awake.

"I am going to go to see to them…" he said, sliding out letting her sleep. It wasn't his turn but he was wide awake. He'd rather do it tonight.

Going in he saw it was Summer, her eyes wide awake, but she wasn't crying, their were no tears. She just wanted her bottle.

"Come on then my baby." He said to her gently, lifting her out the crib. It was hard to think she and her brother were nearly one, he thought as he checked on Mark, who was sleeping soundly. They grew so fast, just like Ellouise and Harry.

"Shall we go get your bottle?" he asked her. "Yeah, come on then, lets go," he said gently, murmuring to her soothingly. "You have to make me a promise Summer. That you are not going to get bigger, you are going to stay my lovely, happy little girl forever because daddy doesn't know how much more he can take of you and your brothers and sister growing up." He said, kissing her forehead as they walked down the corridor.


End file.
